The End of Tomorrow
by Unleashed Reasoning
Summary: The end of days, the end of everything that had happened... She wouldn't have to lose the two things most precious to her.
1. An End for a Beginning

**A/N:** This is a kigo story, so all you who don't like the pairing, you might want to hit the back button now.

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I was sitting on the dead side of forever. I forget how I got there. It doesn't really even matter. I was enjoying the view of eternity fading in and out of inevitability. A classic roundabout turn of events where even the most insane possibilities bring out the utter most chaos and upheaval ever dreamed up. The tables of time and consequence are always turning. And, with my perfect perch, I could witness it all, if I so chose.

Granted, I wanted nothing more then to be rid of the place. Though some of the incidents were rather humorous or grotesque, none of them were of consequence. It was more like watching a movie, and once tired of said movie, it would be tossed into a pile and forgotten. What I wanted was more then just a movie. I wanted to change history.

Hey, it wasn't for the world. It wasn't even for some crazy hair brained idea of making my life easier. Well, I wouldn't mind an easier life. Who would? But I'm one to enjoy random bits of chaos embedded into the mundane yesteryears that habitually lead a person to boredom ninety percent of the time. Yes, I like random spontaneity and struggle to spice up my life. I'd really rather not be normal.

My life is already abnormal. Heck, my brothers and I got struck by a comet. We all turned funky colors and suddenly had special powers. Doy, that's pretty far fetched in most books. I already found one world where our lives are a freaking TV show! How quaint. But there's more to it then that. Yes, started out with the hero bit. Whoopty freakin' do.

The hero bit had been kind of fun in the beginning. Come on, becoming a super hero is most little kids' dream. I have to admit, I had a little bit of that star struck gaze when I was little. But it wasn't much of a challenge. Heroes always win. So, after a little time to think about it, I decided to hop the hero fence. I wanted to be bad. Not so bad I was out murdering people and threatening life as we know it. No, I just wanted a challenge. I wanted to be famous, but I wanted it to be for doing the impossible. I wanted to be the first villain to win. I wanted to be the best thief/mercenary ever heard of.

Far fetched? Of course it was. That's what made it so fun. Eh, teaming up with the blue dolt wasn't my most brilliant plan. The only reason I took that job was because I was being lazy and wanted a steady paycheck so when I didn't want to go out thieving, I could bum out on the couch and still get paid. Yeah, I wanted good money, but I didn't always want to work for it. Even though thieving is really more of an exciting escapade, I still wanted to be able to sloth out on the couch. What can I say? I'm lacking proper motivation in that area.

Anyway, I ended up finding a more exciting reason to stay. I got to duke it out with Princess. Man, I can't believe a freaking cheerleader was out saving the day. It totally slashed that whole ditzy airhead theme. Come on, the girl had some serious moves. She also had enough spunk to trade little insults and taunts and what-not when we fought. Not only that, she actually managed to go about her normal life without a stitch. If I had her hero gig, I might actually still be in the business. Her missions were certainly interesting. Some were a tad ridiculous, but hey, that comes with every gig. But, case in point, the redhead had it going on.

Now you know why I was sitting up here staring down at infinity and beyond. Again, how the heck I actually managed to find the place is beyond me. I'd rack it up as skill, where Princess would say it was luck. Well, be either of us right in the matter, I was there to change a few things. And, she would totally be pissed if she could see what I was about to do…. Once I figured out how to do it.

Hey, time and dimensions don't exactly come with remotes! And though I'm perfect, I'm certainly not god. A close second though.

Anyway, my reasons are simple. I want my Princess around. You see, I'm a little out of the loop now. Princess was an idiot. Miss "Anything's possible for a Possible", first, got married to that buffoon. Second, she went and got herself pregnant. THIRD! She got her idiot self killed. You heard me right. She got herself killed. She went off to save the day, again, and ran into guys with some automatic weapons and a serious truckload of explosives. They actually had a well thought up plan, and were definitely worth being cautious with. And typically Kimmie, she barged right in and told them to stop.

You can guess the rest. Bang, bang, some BIG explosions, and oops, suddenly Kim Possible isn't so alive anymore.

Most of the villain world was thrilled to hear the news…. Until GJ seriously got pissed, and now that they didn't have to pretend to be civil, mowed anyone down who posed enough threat. When I say mowed them down, I mean lobbed off their heads or gave them lethal injections. Yeah, GJ's suddenly drastic and over excessive force sent a lot of villains into hiding. I went into hiding too. I was still a major threat after all, even if I hadn't committed any major crimes. They don't particularly find a person who can sling plasma to be harmless.

Anyway, you could say I went a little loco after that. My Princess was dead, I had no job, no home, and definitely no where to go. What's worse? That buffoon husband of hers got himself killed too. Their little bundle of joy was looking to face the world alone. What did I do? I chose to keep myself partially sane and help the little bugger out. Yeah, I opted to raise the little monster.

I grew quite attached to that little brat. Had a hellish first few years, especially with GJ still hot on my trail. Still, I did my utmost best to ensure that lil Kimmie Junior wasn't wanting. Damn, I seriously spoiled the brat. But, little Junior was only twelve when GJ burst in. They finally caught up to us. They opened fire without question, not even taking notice of the child standing in the room. I tried my best to protect Junior, but by the time they ran out of bullets and rolled me over to cuff or kill me, little Junior was dead.

I say 'or' because GJ never got a chance to do either one. I lost whatever sliver of sanity I had left.

I unleashed my full power on those bastards. I didn't hesitate to rip them all to shreds. The reports are like something out of a gory horror movie. Reporters kept saying I was like the devil herself come to earth to wreak revenge. By the time I was finished, there was no distinguishing those agents. When I left, I carried the lifeless Junior to the cemetery where the Stoppables lay. In a last act of affection, I lay little Junior down between their headstones and bid them all one last farewell… though the buffoon's farewell was a bit more grudging.

What can I say? I was never partial to the buffoon. He never gave me reason to be…. Well, okay, his offspring was definitely a highlight, but I don't count that much on being any part of his.

I sighed and stood up. Fixing things wasn't going to happen if I sat on my ass all day… eternity… whatever.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out Princess's old Kimmunicator. The man that popped up on the screen actually seemed pleased to see me. Never thought a day like that would come. I mean, I never told him my plan. Why would he look at me like I was a friend? I'm the insane psycho bitch who took out nearly half of GJ before disappearing.

"Shego," he said. Damn, he sounded relieved.

"Hey Nerdlinger. I need your help."

He beamed at the nickname. It used to seriously piss him off, but after a while, and for the sake of Junior, it seemed to grow on him. Maybe that's why he doesn't hate me. I stepped up and took care of Kimmie's kid.

"What's up?" he asked, carefully avoiding Kim's old 'what's the sitch' saying. I still couldn't help but go dead when he said it. It brought back too many painful memories.

"I need you to help me figure out how to screw with history."

His thin face scrunched up. His thin fingers scratched his full beard.

The years hadn't been kind to him. Back in the day, when I first met the nerd when Kim was still in high school, he was a pudgy boy. Now, years of seeing horrifying scenes and dealing with loosing everyone close to you, and spending a decade in prison, certainly wouldn't do a person wonders. He was a tall skinny fellow, his muscles wiry, not bulky. His eyes sunk into his head with deep bushy brows that cast shadows over his eyes. His hair was in un-kept dreadlocks, and his beard wild and untrimmed. Still, he was a man of many talents, and his main talent, computer hacking, was what kept him fed and clothed, even though GJ had tried countless times to subdue him. I had found a steady ally in him, though in the beginning it was a forced alliance.

"What exactly are you planning to do?" he asked.

I stared at the dark skinned man a moment. He was the one person that had kept me sane after I lost Junior. He was the one that had saved me the many times I had tried to end my life. He helped me, and in doing so, helped keep himself sane. We were mutual emotional supporters.

"I want to save Kimmie."

His eyes widened.

"You want to save Kim? How?"

"I'm going to change history. I'm going to mold things into a different web. I want Kimmie back, and I want Junior back. To do that, I have to change what happened."

I pointed the screen at the view in front of me. Wade's eyes widened at the endlessly swirling pools of opportunity and multiple histories. He sucked on his teeth, hands worrying the leather strap across his chest.

"That will take a lot of work," he replied at last. I brought the screen back into view. "You have to account for all the little things to make it turn out right. Even the stupid little things, like a simple ball out of place, could mess up everything."

I shook my head.

"Hey, I'm sitting on the edge of eternity and immortality. One way or another, I'm going to change what's happened. I'm going to reverse everything, and I'm going to make sure none of it happens."

Wade's face scrunched up again.

"But from what I saw, in other timelines, it hasn't."

"But in ours it has," I persisted. "I want to hit rewind and start over from the beginning. I don't want that timeline to ever end like that."

"How far into the beginning? When you became a villain, or the day Kim died?"

"I'm going to jump in before the buffoon has a chance to swoon Princess."

Wade smirked.

"Taking an interest in her yourself?" he asked coyly. We both knew I did, but I had yet to admit it aloud.

"Princess has always been interesting," I replied, purposefully being difficult. He only smiled knowingly.

"What about Junior? Can't have Junior without Ron."

I winced.

"I had been avoiding thinking about that part."

Wade laughed.

"You could just get him to donate."

I visibly shuddered, but I knew he was right.

"Yeah, maybe." I looked back at the swirling masses before me. "Nerdlinger, you have to go geeky on me and play out all the possibilities for me. I'm not going to mess with anything until I'm sure it's right." I looked at him sternly. "Can you do that?"

He guffawed and waved a dismissing hand at me.

"Woman, look who you're talking to. GJ can't even touch me."

I locked gazes with him.

"Be careful, okay?"

He smiled again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"You've got my word."

The screen went dead. I put the contraption away and retook my seat. I wasn't going to be of any help. I would only be good for advice, and that would only include how I wanted to change things.

I lost track of time again. I just remember sitting there thinking of everything that had happened. Every now and then, Wade would call and ask me for information or input, and I would give it. But mostly, I sat and waited. I sat and considered what I would do to make things work, to make things better.

How would I approach Kim once she was alive again? What would I tell her? Would I tell her about what happened? Would she even believe me? Kim was a kindhearted person, but even she had her 'yeah, I believe you' limits.

I went in a lot of circles. I also had a lot of ideas on how she would react. Of course, my favorites were when she got all sad and held me in her arms and told me everything would be okay. Hey, I'm not cold hearted. Even I like a bit of sympathy once in a while. Besides, it had been a long time since anyone had actually comforted me. I didn't even recall the last time someone had hugged me.

I wanted things to be perfect. Well, as perfect as any relationship can go, any life can go. I told you before. I like the rough spots. They make life interesting. But I didn't want things to be as hopeless and lonely as they were. If I hadn't asked for the Nerdlinger's help that one day when Junior became mine, I wouldn't have anyone to keep me on this plain. I would have died off long ago. All those terrible things would happen, and nothing would be done about it. When I had heard mention of that place, something caught per chance on the web, I jumped on it.

I searched for that place for over a decade and a half. Yes, a decade and a half well spent in search of nothing more then some half baked rumor in a chat room. Normally I wouldn't bite at anything that far out in left field, but I had been desperate. Nothing else would work. Drakken was dead. He was one of the first GJ killed. Dementor and many other villains who might have had the chance to at least build or acquire a machine or tool to travel time, were all slaughtered. All respectable scientists dared not protest GJ's sudden rule, and suddenly started becoming 'dumber'. All it took was one wrong move for GJ to kill you. Everyone was tiptoeing around them. No one took chances. It was such a miserable prison.

Obviously, there were those that still defied GJ's orders. They dared to do what they wanted, and they learned quickly how to cover their tracks. With scientists suddenly afraid to work for GJ, GJ couldn't build new tools to handle those who struck out against them. They had to steal from the villains. It would have been amusing, a secret organization fighting for good one day to suddenly be trying to rule the world the next, if it hadn't had such dire consequences. Even if only a few things here and there had been different, anything would have been better then what happened.

I rubbed my face, forcing myself to look away from all the different worlds, all the different possibilities. It would've been so easy to jump into one of those. But then, my world, my life, my reasons for being there, would've been all that much more of a burden to bear. Guilt, especially leaving behind the one person who had shared all of the same hardships and had stuck with me through it all, would have been too much to carry.

A loud rock song blared out into the silence. I rolled my eyes in remembrance of picking out that song years and years ago.

"Well?" I asked as soon as Wade came into sight.

"Well, it will be tricky," he said, checking his computer screens. "But you and I haven't ever been ones to be put off by that."

I snorted in amusement.

"So, what's the plan?"

"We recreate ourselves."

My brow furrowed.

"How the hell would we recreate ourselves? And why?"

"We want to keep our memories, right? Well, we have to find a way to insert our current selves into the old timeline without our old selves being a hindrance. In other words, we don't want two of us. Somehow, we have to get rid of the old us but keep our current memories."

I snorted.

"Then we steal our old bodies with our current minds."

Wade winced.

"Do you want to contemplate how that would affect us? Really, being forced out of your own mind for your future self's mind?"

I give him a steady look.

"Can't you fiddle with the timeline enough that it wouldn't bother us? What if we just took our old selves conscious into our own conscious and joined as one. Then we could pretty much be the same, because we already have those memories, and we could have our old bodies back."

He frowned and pulled on his beard.

"It's possible, but it would still be difficult to tell how well it will work. Besides, we won't be able to tell anyone what happened."

I rolled my eyes.

"If we fix things before they happen, we won't need to."

Wade shook his head.

"I don't know about you, but I would have to come up with a pretty interesting story to explain my nightmares, combat abilities, and my nervous habit of taking off running if someone unexpectedly enters the room. Also, my sudden fear of leaving my room will have evaporated. And, how would we explain us?" He lifted an eyebrow, index finger pointed at me.

"Us?" I asked stupidly.

"Back then, we hardly knew each other, let alone been friends. We'd have to do some serious cramming to come up with an explanation."

I huffed in irritation.

"Can't we mess with all that in the timeline? I mean really, we want to manipulate things anyway, why not add these things to the pot?"

Wade shrugged.

"We could. Just want to make sure we get the details straightened out before we do it. We'd basically be resetting everything if we start delving into those matters."

I frowned, tapping a foot impatiently.

"I don't want to be a hero again. To have Kimmie, do I really have to be a hero? I mean, can you even picture _yourself_ trying to play hero again?"

Wade scratched his head, looking thoughtfully down at his keypad.

"To be honest, it would be difficult. I'm so used to living like a criminal,l hiding from GJ, it would be hard to work with them again."

I shook my head.

"No, I don't trust GJ at all now. I don't care what they were before hand. I will _not_ side with them and give them the opportunity to become overlords again. I think we should make our own team, you and me, and get Kimmie to join us too."

"And Ron," Wade said coyly, earning a grimace from me.

"And Ron," I grumbled. He grinned.

"Well, that certainly makes this easier. I can erase a lot of stuff. We could predate where everything went haywire. We could probably even go back as early as pre-missions for Kim. She would be much easier to convince to joining our team if we ask before she even starts the hero gig."

I tapped my chin.

"I hate saying this, I really do… but… Kimmie is simply hero material. We couldn't really be hard core criminals. We'd have to… do some good."

Wade laughed.

"I already thought of that. We're going to help people out, but we're also going to play the 'against the law' line fairly close. Think of it as walking on the knife's edge. We won't be the perfect goodie goodies. We'll have our fair share of trouble making. It will keep us on our toes." He winked. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sounds like a fantastic start."

Wade scoffed. I cocked an eyebrow.

"It's more then a start. I've got it all planned out. All _you_ have to do is get the ball rolling."

I couldn't help but let the hope shine in my eyes. I was practically glowing.

"Really?"

He smiled gently. It was comforting to know the Nerdlinger was backing me so completely on this. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without him.

"All you have to do… is follow the instructions."

He gave me one more level look before pushing a button. The Kimmunicators screen lit up with a long… VERY long list of instructions.

I swallowed, and began.

---Enter command---

---Reset---

---Processing---

---Checking all commands---

---Scanning---

---Complete---

"Shego?"

I blink, looking down at my wrists to find them absent of telltale scars. My hands flex, looking younger, smaller. An impatient sigh fills my ears.

"Shego, will you please stop spacing out and pay attention?"

My breath catches in my throat. Slowly, almost dreading to look up, to hope, I let my eyes lift to squint into the afternoon sun. Tears fill my eyes. I swallow hard against the large lump in my throat.

"P-Princess?"

(A/N: Um, hehe, I started writing and I just ran with the idea. I think I'll leave it a one shot unless I get enough reviews asking for another chapter or two. Anyway, I'd really like to know what you think. Toodles) ;)


	2. A Past Undone

(AN: Um, O.o wow lol… Make the poor writer feel guilty. I didn't think I'd get that kind of demand from the story. Well, I have to admit that a part of me secretly hoped it would, but… Guess there's nothing to it but write some more. Let's hope this chapter is as good as the last.)

I move before my mind has time to react. I lunge forward and wrap my arms around her waist and sob into her stomach. I feel a pair of arms hesitantly reach around my shoulders.

"Shego?" she asks softly. I've never heard a more blessed sound. Never.

"Shego, what's up?" asks another voice. Normally I'd growl in irritation, but I'll let him off the hook this time. Besides, it's possible that it would earn a reproach from the girl in my arms.

"Hey Ron, lets go grab a nacho," says a very familiar, if younger, voice. It brings harsher sobs to my throat.

"Shego…" soothes the voice above me. Alone at last with my Kimmie. That feeling, that strange little piece that has been missing for so long… finally clicks into place. It sends a shudder through my body. "Shego, what's the matter?"

That sweet caring voice is so perfect, so adorable… How long has it been since I've heard it last? How long have I been stuck alone in a world that's been bleak and tortured from a past that was so agonizingly ripped asunder, that even a future seemed impossible to create?

My arms tighten.

I had done it. I had rid myself of tomorrow. My tomorrow of lonely, bitter nights filled with bloody dreams and sleepless nights was washed away. I had destroyed tomorrow. Oh, if I wasn't so sure God didn't exist, not after finding the dead side of forever, I would be thanking him. There is no tomorrow. It won't come. That day everything went wrong, it won't happen. I won't let it.

To protect this. To protect this gentle loving creature in my arms, I went to the end of the world, the end of tomorrow, and I rebuilt the world. How the heck that's even possible, don't dare ask me. I can't tell you. I can only tell you that I did it. I fought everything, time, life, tomorrow, yesterday… I fought everything, even myself, for the two things that I refuse to let go of. I refuse to let anyone take them from me, be it human or eternity itself.

Mine. That's all I can think of when it comes to her. To them. Mine, a claim that I don't care might be protested because it won't matter what they think. Actually, it isn't really a claim. It's really a statement. So what they say doesn't matter at all because what I say is truth, not a belief. My two precious treasures are mine, and will always be mine. I will hold them, prize them, protect them, love them. I will give everything within my power, within myself, to guard these treasures. No one will touch them.

Ah, I can't really say that. Kimmie has her little flare for saving the day. That will inevitably lead to some sort of kidnapping, combat, or threat of some such. The fact of the matter, no matter what is thrown at her I will not let anyone take claim for hurting her. If they dare to try, they will assuredly find themselves in an intense care ward, pleading with the police to lock them away or I'll hunt them down and finish them off.

Yes, I've pretty much lost all restraint on that concept. I lost Kimmie once. I was stupid to not do anything that one time. Then Junior came along. I fought a lot, still avoided killing anyone, but I still lost my Junior. I tried to save Junior, but those damn GJ agents…!

Ah, I'm getting worked up again. Just take note that I have long since overstepped the bounds to killing someone. If someone tries to harm my treasures, they will not make it far. If they actually succeed in seriously harming them, well, let the afterlife have mercy on their souls, for their punishment will surely be so horrifying that Hell would look like a pleasant place to stay.

"Shego, tell me what's wrong," asks Kim.

Huh, how silly. I'd actually gotten so comfortable, I'd forgotten where I was. I don't even remember when I stopped crying or noticed that Ron and Wade had come back and retaken their seats on the grass with us.

I nuzzle her stomach, earning a flustered eep from my captive.

Yes, captive! You heard me right! I'm not planning on letting her go anywhere for a while. She can stay right where she's at and comfort me!

"Maybe she had a bad dream," says Ron, completely out of the blue. "Shego, did you have a bad dream?"

I mutter a few curse words into Kimmie's stomach. Leave it to the buffoon to pull me away from my Princess.

… Actually, I can stay right where I am and answer. I move just enough I can peek at him and Wade out of the corner of my eye over my shoulder.

Wade is smirking. He has a knowing look in his eyes, and it brings a smirk to my own lips. He subtly motions his index finger against his lips, in an obvious display of 'shhh'. I sigh and roll my eyes.

Very well, I'll play it nice.

"Actually…"

"She was wide awake!" exclaims Kim, earning surprised stares from all three of us. "How could she be having a bad dream if she were awake?" she reasons. The blond boy looks perplexed for a moment.

"What about daydreams, Pumpkin?" I ask, just to be difficult. She looks down at me, and I get to see the most beautiful green eyes I had been sorely missing. It's very hard not to sit up and kiss her.

"Daydreams don't count. Daydreams are always good because you create them. Have _you_ ever heard of a daymare?"

A laugh is pulled from my lips.

"You've got me there, Princess." I snuggle into her stomach again. I can't help it. It's rapidly becoming the most comfortable spot in the world… no, the universe. I found the end of the world after all, and that place wasn't comfortable in the least. If anything, it was the most uncomfortable because it's too easy to accidentally mess up some timeline or another.

That's also frighteningly true. I accidentally messed up a timeline when I was there. I had sneezed. It was a rather boisterous sneeze, and incidentally, I was a little closer to the timeline then I should have been. What can I say? I was really getting into the view and all, you know? Anyway, I sneezed and… Well, let's just say Kimmie in another life suddenly became magically inclined. The funny part? Her magic tended to center and magnify around fire. Rather quaint, yes?

A sigh pulls me from my musings.

"Shego, that doesn't explain why you were freaking out."

I frown. Freaking out? I don't freak out. I… merely lose a bit of self control. It usually only leads to people cowering in fear, but I guess it also means I can become a blubbering baby. And, so help me, if anyone says so, I will do the aforementioned and beat some sense back into them.

"Let's just say I did have a bit of a bad dream."

"Shego, your eyes were wide open."

"People are known to sleep with their eyes open, Princess."

"You were nodding your head and answering me," she says sternly. I shrug.

"That can be defined as sleep talking. If I had gotten up, you have sleepwalking."

Kim sighs in exasperation.

"Sheggy, can't you just tell me what's wrong?"

Sheggy?! WTH?! _Sheggy_?! OMG!!! Prepare to be completely baffled! Mind going into shutdown mode! Eyes go wide! Mouth, stop functioning! Faintly hear Wade snickering at you.

Okay brain, you have until the end of this very slow blink to answer the girl. I have a feeling Wade deserves a thorough butt kicking after this. Even if he did trim down his old self and shape up to be a healthy teen, that kid is still no match for me. It helps to have my old self's memories. It proves him totally guilty for suggesting the nickname to Kim in the first place.

Okay, end of blink. Back to reality.

"Listen Princess, I just had a bad dream."

Wade cocks his head to the side. He rubs his chin, an old habit that seems to have managed to stick, even though he had lost his beard.

"Hey Kim, can I borrow Shego for a minute?"

I'm kind of surprised Kimmie seems almost as hesitant as I am to move. She even lets out a sad sigh and slides her arms off my shoulders. Aw, Nerdlinger should have kept his mouth shut!

I pull away and stand up. He grins and starts walking towards Bueno Nacho. I wince. That place still seems Evil to me. I should have suggested burning down the first building so it couldn't become popular. My past self in this life at least convinced the team to retreat to the park not far from the place, a compromise so that those of us that didn't like the greasy food could go to one of the food places nearby.

"I think we should tell them," he says as soon as we're out of earshot. I blink.

"You think we should tell them?" I let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, I see them handling that _really_ well."

"Don't be so sarcastic. I'm serious."

I frown.

"I am being serious. I don't think they'd take it too well. We have nothing to prove it ever happened. Everything's been erased."

"Except the pictures."

I stop dead in my tracks, blocking the doorway into Bueno Nacho.

"You have pictures?" I ask hoarsely. He nods slowly, smiling face grim.

"I trust GJ about as little, if not less, than you do. If they decided to pull anything stupid, I wanted proof to get Kim and Ron to realize I was telling the truth." He looks away. "And… I found I couldn't part with some of them. They were… too precious to throw away."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Hey, move it girl!" growls a voice behind me. I don't move. "Quit blocking the door!"

Before the idiot can touch me, Wade glares at him and gently takes my hand to pull me further into the building and out of the doorway. He leads me over to a table and pushes me down into the plastic chair. He sits down across from me, watching me with concern.

"What pictures do you have? Where are they?"

Wade reaches out and gently places his hand over mine.

"Shego, I don't have them here. I made sure when I had you alter things that you placed them in my room."

I wince.

"You and your damn room. That thing is safer then any vault in the world."

Wade grins.

"Exactly. They won't come to harm there at all. Also, no prying eyes will seem them. I really don't want to try and explain things to anyone other then Ron and Kim."

I look at the table in silence for a minute.

"What… What pictures do you have?" I ask, barely able to get the question past my constricted throat. Wade hesitates a moment before answering. He takes hold of my hand in both his.

"I have their wedding, for starters."

I look up at him sharply, my breath coming quicker. No, having a photo of that day wouldn't help matters. If anything, it would make my chances ten times slimmer then they probably already were to begin with.

"Nerdlinger…" I start, but he interrupts me.

"Shego, relax. I don't think it will give them any romantic inclination in this life."

I shake my head.

"You don't know that! They were married for crying out loud! A picture will only bring that idea to the forefront!"

He looks at me sternly, wagging a finger in my face. He is the only other person in existence that can get away with that.

"Will you just stop and listen to me? I won't show them this picture until the time is right, namely when you and Kim already have a steady relationship going."

I blink at him, a slight blush staining my cheeks. I grumble to myself, slightly bothered by how blunt he is about it. He grins, another small victory on his part. He's getting too close in the race, in my opinion.

"That won't necessarily prevent her from breaking up with me," I say moodily. He shakes his head.

"Come on, you and I both know Kim better then that. She won't break up with you over that. Especially if you seriously get your hooks in her." He smirks mischievously. I roll my eyes.

"What about the other pictures?" I ask, diverting the topic from more… personal matters.

He pauses again, once more grabbing both of my hands in his.

"I have pictures of you and Junior."

I gasp, my free hand grasping the table in an effort to keep myself seated. My head is spinning, and I almost stop breathing entirely. My heart can't decide whether it wants to burst from my chest or be crushed to death by my seemingly shrinking ribs.

"Pictures… of J-Junior?" I ask. Oh, how those words brought so many memories to light. So many happy moments that kept me happy, kept me sane, when I surely should have been out of my mind. They also brought the tearing aching feeling of loss, of failure. I burry my face in my hand, my body trembling in effort to contain my sobs. "My Junior… my sweet, precious Junior…" I mumble. Lord, I want to hold the child so bad, sing another lullaby as she fell asleep in my arms. I want to hear her giggle as Wade and I argue again about some silly matter or another. I want to stroke that strawberry blond hair and croon over her like any loving parent would their child.

Wade clutches my hand tightly, his face creased into a sad frown.

"Shego, I… I couldn't throw them out. I had to keep them. I… They're sitting with the others, like GJ going postal. I have pictures of their take over, their executions. I have pictures of everything. The more precious ones, well… I couldn't part with those, even though I tried to tell myself I should. I don't want to forget everything."

I bring a teary gaze up to meet his. Both of us are crying now. I bet we looked quite odd in the cheery restaurant. We hold each other like a lifeline. After all, we'd been a lifeline for each other, during the trying times and after. Back then, it had been a grudging lifeline that had grown into mutual respect, then friendship. Now… now, we're all we have of our past. We're the only two survivors of the tomorrow that never comes.

Telling someone of our story, even Kim and Ron, it will never be the same. The only one's who witnessed the horrors of our tomorrow were just us two. We are the only two who can fully understand the pain, loneliness, and fear that haunted our every step back then. I know Wade has nightmares. I have nightmares. I doubt any of the population of our world didn't have them. Even GJ had to have nightmares. Their atrocities couldn't be performed without such consequences, after all.

Pictures… Ah, pictures can capture a great deal. I'll agree with that. But even still, a photograph can only give you a small taste of it. It gives you a distance that allows you to be detached from the true horrors that picture reveals. It doesn't give you any of the feeling that was held when that snapshot was taken. How many pictures I'd stared at, from other past horrors. I'd never felt more then a slight bit of wonder and disgust. Nothing more. I never felt anything for them. How could I? I hadn't experienced it. Honestly, I never wanted to experience it.

Now, I have my own horror, my own snapshots that burn the soul whenever I behold them. Even pictures of happy times. They were pictures of the good things that had been ripped from my grasp, taken from me for no reason. Pictures of such things like Junior. Junior… how I will never ever get over that loss. Before, I had been able to block the feelings, block the memories. I had lost so much of my mind, I was able to ignore how deeply that loss had hit me. I went insane.

I really did lose my mind. I tore into GJ. I made my way straight to Dr. Director and ripped her to pieces with my own two hands. I held no conscience. I held no regret for my actions. All I saw was Junior's bloody body lying in my grasp, innocent face turned to me unseeing. The horror of staring into that caring, trusting face, no longer breathing, seeing… I will never fully recover from that. Even if I see Junior reborn, I will never get over that sight. It was the most frightening, scarring thing I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen quite a lot, such as seeing my Princess lying dead in the street.

Princess's death was a brutal blow as well. Grant it, my Princess and I had never transgressed into a more personal relationship. Still, I did harbor a secret desire to try it out. Even when we exchanged taunting banters, I found myself wanting more. When the buffoon claimed her, that was a harsh slap in the face. I quickly backed off. I still kept a close eye on her, but I suddenly wasn't as attracted to running into her. I found myself avoiding her. I was a silent shadow that watched from a distance.

I regret that as well. I should have done more. I was so sore over not being chosen over the buffoon, I didn't jump in when I had the chance. I could have saved her. I had been keeping tabs on her website, pretty much trailing her on missions. This mission was the same. I got there and noticed all the gunmen. I wanted to warn her, but as Kimmie does her own brash thing, she busted right in and announced herself. They opened fire before I could act. The buffoon didn't help matters. His seemingly streak of luck ran out when he flew into a rage and attacked them blindly. He did manage to take out five of them, but he was gunned down shortly after. I myself went crazy and attacked. I caught them off guard and slaughtered them all. When I went to check on my Princess, it was as hopeless as I thought.

God, my sobs are getting louder.

I kneeled down to Princess's broken body and gently touched her face. To my complete shock, she opened her eyes and looked at me. She was in a bit of a pained daze, but she knew who I was immediately. She called my name, and it broke my heart. That was my first stage of insanity. She looked at me and so many emotions passed through her eyes, I couldn't distinguish any of them. But, she wasn't mad, she wasn't hating me. She mostly looked sad. She knew she was dying. She knew what had happened. She managed to grab my hand, held it tight. I could tell there was a lot she wanted to say, but she only managed to tell me of her child. Lord, her child. She pled for me to take care of her child. It was as if she knew Ron was dead as well. The last word that passed across her lips in a soft sigh, was my name.

A part of me broke at that moment. That was really the night my sanity began to leave me. I realized also, how much Kimmie really meant to me. The burden of knowing I could have saved her if I hadn't been so selfish helped deepen that insanity, that borderline psychotic chaos that threatened to destroy everything. That was the first night I cried in years. It was a broken, gut wrenching weeping. Junior's death was even more bitter, for I failed my promise to protect her, I failed Wade, I failed myself, and most importantly, I failed my treasures.

I don't realize I'm nearly crushing Wade's hand with my own. I'm too far burrowed in my misery.

Wade had fought quite a trial to keep me around. Sometimes I wonder why he did that, why he tried so hard. He used to fight me, fight my insanity for me when I had chosen long ago to leave it to its own devices. He fought even when I lit up. He took all sharp objects away from me, all medication, and even all kinds of things I could modify into a noose. His old body, I know, held scars from such battles. He sported one really bad burn that covered nearly all of his chest and stomach. What was amazing, to me, is he never held it against me. If anything, he seemed more caring. It seemed my insanity was proof of my undying affection for my lost treasures. It was something he seemed to understand. And, it seemed he was hell bent on not spending the rest of his life alone in his suffering and saving me from pointlessly ending my existence prematurely.

Freakin' A these memories were horrible. Such nightmares… I have no idea how he made me sane again. Even now, I feel the insanity tempt me, prick the darkest reaches of my thoughts. My nightmares are enough to stir my unbalanced mind, and send my poor heart trembling so bad I fear I could die alone from the emotional pain.

"Shego," he says softly. "Shego, we don't live there anymore. Our tomorrow will never happen." He squeezes my hand, slowly bringing me back to the table, to this new reality. "Shego, the love of your life is sitting just outside. She's waiting for you to return, to once again be in her arms. Shego, we're free from that nightmare. We won't let it happen, ever."

"Nerdlinger, our nightmares will never end… There's no way I could f-forget that look… that look in their eyes as they lay dead in my arms. Wade, I can't erase those memories."

He winces, understanding exactly what I'm talking about. He had witnessed the same look in his parents eyes, in his wife's eyes. Yes, he'd been married once. It was short lived, however. GJ had taken her from him as they took Junior from me. It's why we lean on each other so well. We know what the other is feeling.

"I know," he whispers. He closes his eyes a moment, tears still streaming down his face. He opens his eyes again to look me in the eye. "Listen, we can't keep breaking down like this. We have a past to rebuild."

"A past? Wouldn't most people call it a future?" I reply sarcastically. I have to get a hold of my emotions somehow. I find I do so best with sarcasm and attitude. Wade's smile says he appreciates the gesture. It helps level him out as well.

"Well, seeing as we just tossed our tomorrow into a blender for a better past, no. We're rebuilding a past for a better present. We have a ways to go before we hit the future." He smirks. I snort in amusement.

"Guess it depends on how you look at it. It can still be argued that the day following this is the future."

Wade shrugs.

"Arguments be damned. You and I just played god. No one can argue our logic. We recreated everything."

"You and I gods, huh?" I can't help but laugh. I rather liked the idea. "Let's just hope we don't have to do it a second time. I already think I messed up someone else's timeline."

He lifts an eyebrow at that.

"What did you do?"

It's never a question of if I did something. Wade knows that. It's always a question of what I did. Dang, the boy probably knows me better then the current Kimmie does.

I shrug, trying to downplay it. Psh, as if that ever works.

"I sneezed."

(A/N: Um, I'm probably going to be dodging throw objects for this questin but, is this deserving of another chapter? lol let me know what you think.)


	3. A Surprise Visit

I sigh as I plop down on my bed. I rub my face tiredly.

Wade hadn't stopped laughing. He was still laughing as we parted ways ten minutes later. Ron kept bugging him about it, but Wade just laughed. Kim looked curious as well. I'll be damned if I explain what happened. It'd bring up too many questions anyway.

"Shego?"

I jolt in shock. Princess followed me?! Since when has she taken to following me home? I cock my head far enough I can see her entering my room through the two large glass doors to my right. I really need to get a room without a balcony.

… Wait, scratch that. If I catch Princess on a starlit night, that would be the utmost perfect place to have her to myself. Keep the balcony; invest in dark curtains and a heavy duty lock. It would at least delay the redhead.

"What're you doing here, Princess?" I ask. I can't make myself move from my comfortable spot. I'm too exhausted, too relieved. I haven't had a place to relax in… forever.

"I came to see if you were all right. You looked really upset earlier."

I almost roll my eyes out of habit.

"Pumpkin, didn't Nerdlinger's uproarious laughter clue you in? I'm feeling better."

To my shock, she only looks at me more intently. She crosses the room and sits down on the edge of my bed.

"Shego, if it's one thing I've learned about you most, it's that you aren't one to open up with others. Wade might have helped, but you've still got that haunted look in your eyes."

I sigh.

I'll have a haunted look in my eyes for quite a while, if not the rest of my life. You don't just forget things like the death of your most precious treasures. No, such horrors will always linger in my thoughts, and I will always have a haunted look in my eyes when I think upon it.

I reach out and gently touch her cheek. It brings a slight blush to her face.

I can't tell her yet. It wouldn't do anything but send her in a panic and denial. After all, how logical is it to have someone come up to you and say they changed everything so tomorrow would never come and that everything you think you know, was actually altered for a better past?

Yes, a lot was altered. Look at Wade and I. We were never the same age as Kimmie and Ron in our old lives. I was older, and he was younger.

Wade had taken that into account when I hadn't even considered it. He told me that he wanted to be the same age as the others because he wasn't sure if he could go back to being a kid again. And, though he didn't say it, he felt a little left out. I even felt the gap between myself and Kimmie. She was still in high school when we met. There were a lot of things that kept us apart. You could say that's just because I wasn't willing to find things to do together, but everyone must admit, you don't get to spend near the amount of time with each other if you aren't the same age if one of you is still in high school.

Oh, that and I hadn't really tried the high school thing. I dropped out before I ever finished. It was part of my revenge against my brother when he booted me from Team Go. Actually, now that I think of it, I'm really glad it happened that way. There's no other way I'd have gotten to meet Kimmie. That, and if I'd stayed with Team Go, I would have torn my brother's head off. Hego always pisses me off. Even now that I'm not a villain, the guy still irritates me, and I've never been on Team Go in this past.

Kim gently touches my shoulder, bringing me back to the now. I sigh. What do I tell my Princess? She obviously won't take the "I'm okay" bit.

"Princess, there's a lot about me you don't know," I say without thinking. I internally wince.

Kim actually knows a lot about this life's me. We've been friends for a long time. Actually, I've known Kimmie as long as Ron has. That's saying something.

It's weird to have memories of a life I didn't actually live. It really doesn't make sense either. I feel like I've lived it, but I know I didn't. This me did, the me that I made slash created to live here, is the one that experienced everything. I never did any of that stuff before today, in the park. Before that, it was this life's me. I can even feel this life's me inside me, changing me slightly.

This me has calmed me slightly. I think even Wade realizes it. If she hadn't become a part of me, I would have snapped earlier. I wouldn't have just cried. I would have been howling, destroying things, cursing, and probably near pulling out my hair. I'll always be slightly paranoid and edgy, but this me hasn't had to be like that. This me is alert, but not overly so. This me enjoys life, is happy with life. I'm not saying she shouldn't be. I can't say that I'm not happy with it. I'm ecstatic. This is everything I've been wanting. But, she's never had any of the pitfalls I've had.

It's weird to mix the two of us. My barely contained insanity has been all I've known for ages. It's what's kept me alive and nearly killed me all at the same time. My nightmares and pangs of guilt never cease to haunt me, and I've watched my whole world crumble before my very eyes. And yes, literally, my whole world.

She's happy and has an impish like troublemaking streak that I lost forever and a day ago. I can hardly even recall how it felt to be that way, way back when. She's an innocent, a person untouched by any of the trials I've faced. She has friends I never had. She has a home I lost and family she managed to keep. She's everything I never was.

It's almost frightening. I never thought such a life could exist for me. The fact that I created it doesn't assuage the feeling either. It sends my skin slightly crawling. I probably should have thought on how it would affect me to suddenly have a past I always believed a faraway fantasy, to have a life I thought ripped from my grasp at a young age.

I don't regret it. I could never regret changing the past. I'm just stunned how different it is, how much it affects me seeing it this way, knowing how opposite it was just hours ago.

Ah, that's another messed up thing. It was only hours ago to me. To this life, you could either say it never happened or began happing the day this me was born. That's when thing's changed, thing's that weren't supposed to happen happened, or were supposed to happen but didn't. My whole timeline is screwed up. More so because I have two sets of memories that became one set, but my future self remembers everything and makes the connection to differences or oddities between the two, effectively separating them.

My head flops face-first onto the bed with a groan.

If I wasn't insane before this, I certainly am now. How the heck can everything be so screwed up and so perfect all at the same time? I'm one person, but I'm two. I'm me, but I'm not. My past is mine, but it isn't.

Crap, we should have thought this out a little bit more.

"Sheggy?"

Damn that nickname. I can feel a blush working its way across my face. I really do need to kick Wade's ass for that.

"What's up Princess?" I mumble, not daring reveal my face because of the color on my cheeks.

She strokes my back, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"Are you going to keep avoiding me?"

I wince.

"It's not like I want to, Kimmie. Right now… isn't really the best of times."

"Why not?"

"Cause I don't have a proper way to explain it yet."

She sighs again.

"When will it be a good time?"

"I dunno."

She huffs in exasperation.

"Can you at least tell me _something_?"

"Something like what?"

She pokes me in the shoulder.

"Anything. Just… quit shutting me out." The last part is almost too soft to catch. If I hadn't been paying attention, I would have missed it.

I roll over onto my back and look up at her. Her green eyes are simply captivating. Her red hair looks so soft and inviting to touch. She looks so innocent, so pure, sitting there, looking down at me, completely at ease in my presence.

I have to force down another blush. My future self is envisioning some pretty naughty stuff, and my new past self is feeling guilty for it, if not a teensy bit curious too.

"Kimmie, I don't want to shut you out. I'm… sorry… it seems like it." I slap myself mentally. Sorry still isn't the grandest word in my vocabulary. It's still like pulling teeth. I don't know if that amuses, pleases, or bothers me that my new past self is the same way.

Kim seems to be waiting for me to say more. Gah, what more does she want me to say?! What else CAN I say?

"Er… Look, my nightmares, there's a lot more to 'em then, well, being nightmares. I… have a few things I need to look into before I can tell you what's going on."

"But you told Wade," she says, pulling out a rather hurt pout.

Crap, forgot the power of that pout too.

"Wade only knows because Wade is having a similar problem. We're trying to figure out what to do about it."

She cocks her head to the side.

"Can't Ron and I help?"

I smile at the cute pose, shaking my head in answer to her question.

"Sorry Princess, this one thing you can't help me with. Not yet anyway." I wait for the knowing pout before I continue. "Wade and I need to get things straightened out before we bring you in, or it would only complicate things needlessly." I reach up and gently stroke her cheek with my thumb, my fingers playing in her soft hair. "Believe me?" I ask pleadingly.

That was something I'd picked up from my new me. It seems she said that a lot to Kimmie. Thinking upon it brings up the memory the first time "I'd" said it.

Kim and "Me" had been in Pre-K. I was a troublemaker, as usual. But, this time I was blamed for something I didn't do. Said thing happened to be breaking one of Kimmie's favorite toys. The teacher was certain I did it, for I'd done it to a few kids I didn't like. The teacher told Kim that I did it. And I, of course, was horrified. I thought for sure Kimmie wouldn't talk to me ever again. So, I ended up holding out my favorite toy in offering and telling her repeatedly that I hadn't done it. Of course, my last sentence was "Believe me?"

I don't know why Kimmie believed me. There was no proof either way if I was guilty or not. But, she took my toy with a watery smile and said…

"Believe you," says Kim, echoing her kid self.

It's a childish response, but, it was something that had stuck since childhood, so it made perfect sense to me. Besides, the way she says it is utterly adorable, usually because she says it with that same sweet yet bashful smile.

I reach behind her neck and pull her down into a hug.

I can never lose Kimmie again. Never. If I lost her again… May time itself have pity on the world, for I would surely destroy it. I would never again know the sanctity of being sane. I would never even open the door to possibility, to chance, for a change to fix things. My heart can only take it once. It's disconcerting enough the first time round.

No, I couldn't handle loosing her twice. I'm not strong enough to handle that a second time. Even the first time I wasn't strong enough.

I burry my face in her hair, inhaling the scent of her coconut shampoo. No one will ever take her from me. No one will hurt her. As possessive and obsessive as it seems, I will devote myself to her. That's why I changed everything. I would make things perfect, for her, for me, for us. I cannot bear living in a world without her.

"Stay with me forever," I whisper, not even realizing I said it aloud. I've been alone so long I did develop the annoying habit of talking to myself.

She shifts out of my arms enough to prop herself on her elbows and look me in the eye. That's when it hits me that I spoke aloud. Damn sanity. You're supposed to be sane enough you DON'T allow me to pull stupid stunts anymore.

… Apparently I'm not very sane, if I'm asking my sanity to keep me sane.

"Why do you want me to stay forever?" she asks. I blush and look away, scratching my cheek nervously.

Is high school _really_ a good time to start having serious discussions about the future? Damned if I know.

"Um, cause I want you to stay, doy! Why else?"

She leans forward, our faces inches apart.

"As friends?" she asks. Oh, my blush just got darker, and Kimmie is WAY too clever for her own good.

"Maybe," I reply without thinking. I should get the idiot award of the year, 'cause I'm acting WAY too stupid right now.

"What else is there, besides friends?" she asks, looking much too confident for my liking. Has she always been like this? …Guess I wouldn't know. I've never gotten the chance to get to know her like this in my old life.

"Uh…" And now I'm tongue tied and my brain has derailed. She's too close for coherent thinking.

Ultimate dilemma here. Kill that space between us and claim those lips, or remain right were I'm at and see how much longer Kimmie's going to torture me.

BAM!

"I'm home!" bellows a voice downstairs.

Kim blushes and pulls away, regaining her perch on the edge of my bed.

I'm going to KILL Hego.

She looks down at me, looking slightly disappointed.

"Call me later, okay?" she says.

I nod, sitting up to watch her as she rises and makes her way to my balcony.

"Hey Kimmie…"

She pauses, glass door already open.

"Yeah?"

Don't think, don't think, do NOT think!

I slip off the bed and move to her side before she can even register that I had. I lean down and place a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Be safe."

Her face flushes, green eyes locking on to mine.

I slap her on the butt. She eeps and hops out onto the balcony, allowing me to pull the glass door closed behind her. I lock the door and wave at her with a grin when she whirls around to glare at me. To my complete shock, she flips me off and disappears over the rail in a huff.

"I've rubbed off on Princess more then I thought," I say to myself. I shake my head and wander back to my bed. I look down at it, contemplating if I should lie back down or not.

… I feel a large goofy smile split my face. It turns slightly devious when I replay smacking her on the butt and locking her out.

That had been fun. A LOT of fun. I can't remember last time I had this much fun.

Oh, spending time with Princess is just priceless. I won't dare let anything ruin that.

"Anyone home?!" bellows Hego.

I scowl, remembering why exactly it was that Princess had left.

I look at the clock on the nightstand. "Me" is informing me that the parents won't be home for another two hours. I smirk. That's plenty of time to have a little revenge.

"Oh Hego!" I nearly skip out of my room, pulling the door closed soundly behind me.

(A/N: As I always seem to ask, what do you think? Hope you like it!)


	4. Old faces or New masks?

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

WHAM!

I groan, rubbing my head. Since when did Dr. D become a certified villain on his own, without being known for being a crackpot?

I leap away from raining bullets, ignoring the pain in my back from smashing into the street. A hovering Beebee aims its cannon at me, and I silently curse as I search for a place to use for cover. Ineffectively finding one, I stare defiantly at the robot, praying I can dodge the blast fast enough.

BAM!

A second Beebee crashes into the first, causing both to slam against a nearby building and plummet to the ground in a broken heap. I snap my head around to find Princess smirking at me, arms crossed haughtily over her chest. I lift an eyebrow.

"A challenge?" I say to myself. "Very well." I find my own smirk, jumping back into the foray, hands alight.

I bum rush one Beebee and take its head off with a single glowing punch. I swivel around to kick another into a wall.

"Help!" comes Ron's startled cry. One Beebee has him dangling from its hand. Its cannon is moving to target Ron's head. I roll my eyes.

I toss two plasma blasts and watch as they hit the Beebee square in the back. It drops Ron and falls to the ground, its back a melted mass of goo. Ron smiles and waves slightly at me before turning back to the fight, efficiently throwing a Beebee over his shoulder and into the ground.

I lift an eyebrow. Didn't realize he had that in him. Maybe he's a little more competent this time round. I spare him one last glance before charging after two more Beebees.

Just as I finish off my two targets, I spot Kim grinning at me from a growing pile of Beebees. My eyes widen slightly. She's ahead of me?! Oh, hell no! I redouble my effort, taking down three more with my plasma blasts. Four more pop up to take their place. I take off two of their heads and punch holes through the other two. Seven more creep up as soon as the others fall. I growl. Is there no end to these things? Dr. D is getting a little too competent in my opinion. If he can actually pull off this kind of effort, he's got to be re-evaluated.

I down the next seven, starting to feel the strain of mowing down the seemingly endless army of blond Beebees. Kim is also starting to look tired. Sweat is rolling down her temple, eyes narrowed in concentration. Ron is already panting, and Wade… Well, Wade hadn't made it to this one. He's sitting in detention for being caught skimming through "teacher files" at school.

I roll my eyes at the thought.

Nerdlinger didn't get caught. Not really. More or less, he blatantly bragged about knowing what was in kids' files. Which, he did know. The teachers overheard, of course. They confronted him. He didn't even deny it. He just smirked and held out his hands in a "what can I say?" manner. The idiot. Ugh, he has too much fun getting into trouble. He doesn't have to worry about someone taking his head anymore. He's enjoying his tinkering in "private" affairs.

Wouldn't have him any other way. I just wish he hadn't gotten his butt in detention and left us to figure out what the heck is going on. Ron is clueless and Kim and I are too much of "act now, think later" types. Granted, we could probably figure it out if we sat down and thought about it.

I duck a cannon blast, snarling at the Beebee that'd fired it. I throw my own blast, blowing the offending Beebee up.

I sigh. Can't really think too clearly when you're in the middle of a battle. You're thinking of the fight, not all the hidden agenda behind it.

I dodge a spray of bullets. I jump behind a parked car and use it as a momentary shield. I pause to get my bearings and catch my breath. I spot Ron doing fairly well against four Beebees. His naked mole rat is keeping two others occupied by running around in random circles all over the place. Kim is… Damn it!

I leap out from my hiding place. I flip over a Beebee and sidestep another. I race forward and shove Princess as hard as I can. Kim goes flying, hitting the side of a rather nice looking mustang and denting the door considerably.

I flinch, my side erupting in pain. I whirl around and fire off six plasma blasts, taking out five of the Beebees surrounding me. One of the remaining two Beebees fires at me. I roll away, but the first shot catches the side of my leg. I hiss, coming out of my roll into an awkward kneel. I clutch the bleeding wound, not even daring to examine it or the burn on my side.

"Shego!" shouts Kim, drawing my attention… as well as several Beebees. My eyes narrow as the Beebees advance on the redhead, who is looking a wee bit nervous under the blank stares of the dozen Beebees. All of them raise their cannons at the same time. My heart stops.

I feel something inside me, some corner I can't fathom our touch, spring to life. I feel my power jump tenfold. I'm moving forward so fast that everything around me is a blur. When I stop, I'm standing behind the center Beebee. I let out a guttural roar, surprising even myself with the raw untamed rumble.

I shove a blazing hand out and grasp the Beebee's head. I snarl, viciously pouring my power out, letting it spit to either side to catch the other dozen Beebees. Kim shies back, covering her eyes at the brilliance of my green fire. Ron yelps and ducks for cover, completely forgetting about the fight. As I let my power recede, I'm staring at the melted masses of a dozen Beebees pooled on the ground around me.

I'm panting as I scan the area to make sure none of them are alive and still aiming for Kim. To my relief, I had caught all the ones that were a danger to her. When I look at her, to make sure she's okay, she's staring oddly at me. Her brow is scrunched, head cocked slightly to the side. My eyebrows rise at the sight of the small frown on her lips.

Had I done something wrong? Did she get hurt and I just can't see it?

I take a step towards her when a half crazed cackle fills the air. I pivot around to spot Dr. D standing on a hovercraft, hands planted on his hips as he leans back into his laugh. As his laugh dies out, he peers down at us with dark amusement.

"I see my toys didn't quite have the effect I'd hoped." His gaze locks on me. A chilling smile spreads across his face.

I've never seen Dr. D smile like that. That smile is unnerving. If I'd ever seen Dr. D smile like that, I would never have sided with him.

"What?" I challenge, trying to ignore the creepy feeling tingling between my shoulder blades.

"It seems you've surprised me yet again," he says, obviously amused. "I thought I had you this time. Apparently you still have skills that need to be discovered." He turns to Kim, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And you, Miss Possible. You're still getting in my way. How annoying. Be sure that one day, your green skinned fellow wont be there to protect you." He smiles that creepy assed smile again, hands moving to clasp behind his back. "Until my next great invention," he says, turning around to take a seat in his hovercraft.

I see a shadow sitting behind the wheel, but I can't make out who it is. Before I get a chance to try and get a better look, the hovercraft rockets away down the street. I sigh, sinking to the ground.

I feel drained, completely empty. My body is trembling slightly in exhaustion. Sweat is pouring down my face, and I can barely hold my head up. My little power bomb has its side-effects, I guess. My shoulders slump as I try to save my energy to remain sitting upright.

A hand lands on my shoulder, and I jump slightly.

"Shego?" asks Kim. She's standing behind me, eyes filled with worry. I crack my best smile, hoping she won't notice the wounds I've taken.

Her eyes widen.

Crap, she noticed. I sigh as she gasps and falls to her knees beside me. She gently moves my hand away to inspect my side and then my leg. She bites her lip, and I can't help but smile at it. That look is just too darned cute. I love seeing that look.

I start slightly when she looks up into my face. I had been staring so intently, I hadn't been prepared for her to do that. I feel a blush stain me in guilt. Bah, stupid embarrassment reflex.

"Dr. D is sure a pain in the ass, huh?" I remark, trying to draw her attention away from my wounds. She doesn't even blink. She stares at me intently, one hand still cupping my elbow. It's almost like she's trying to figure something out, her eyes searching for something.

Ron comes up behind her, scratching the back of his head.

"Wow," he comments. "What a fight." He scans the wreckage of demolished Beebees, an actual contributor to their lifeless masses. He has gone up a notch in my book. Just a small notch, but a notch.

He grins at Kim and me. He finally catches sight of my wounds and jumps back in surprise.

"Holy cow! What happened to you?!" And, in leaping away, he tripped on some unseen pebble and bites the pavement.

I remove that notch.

"What's it look like?" I ask snidely. I really don't want him to notice how bad I'm trembling. It wouldn't do for him to carry me, be that even over to the sidewalk. I don't care if I can't walk. I refuse to let the buffoon carry me.

My jaw falls open.

Kim had slipped her arms beneath my knees and shoulders, picking me up before I could protest.

Oh hell, embarrassment three hundred and forty six.

I shouldn't put it past Kimmie to notice that I'm too weak to walk under my own power. Gah, and I don't even have the strength to fight back. I duck my head in shame. Save the girl, only for her to carry your worthless hide back to safety. This friggin' sucks.

… Actually… feeling her warmth around me, smelling the scent of her shampoo… Maybe this isn't so bad. Maybe… I'll choke down the wounded pride and simply… enjoy the feel of Kim holding me. Maybe…

I let my head rest against her shoulder. My world bobs with each step she takes. Ron is following her, babbling away about something. Kim doesn't seem to be paying him any attention. I know I'm not.

I close my eyes, basking in her presence. I allow a very small smile to grace my lips, feeling completely content.

This one moment, this one feeling… I wouldn't trade it for anything.

… Well, okay, I would trade it for possibly one other thing. That other thing would still involve Kim, and it would involve another type of intimate moment.

… Bah, bad me. Stop thinking dirty thoughts. It's not the time for that. Just… enjoy the moment.

Abruptly, we stop. I open my eyes again, lifting my head to look around.

We're standing in front of a… hospital?! Oh, hell no!

I try to remove myself from her grasp, but my squirming only earns a tightening of her hold. When I look up at her indignantly, she merely looks down sternly. It's a silent battle of wills, and to my utmost shame, I lose.

I silently grumble to myself, looking away from her in a huff. I friggin' hate hospitals. Hate, hate, HATE hospitals. My scowl grows as we pass through the door. Kim walks right up to the check-in counter.

"Hi, could we get someone to look over her?" she asks. The woman's head snaps up in shock. She recognizes Kim immediately. Her jaw nearly drops.

"Y-yes! O-of course!" She fumbles around, trying to pick up the phone. After the third attempt, she manages to pick it up. Her eyes keep darting to Kim and back to her desk. After a quick conversation, which included mentioning Kim's name, she hangs up and looks at us again. "Dr. Pherris w-will be with you in a moment."

I can't help but roll my eyes. Hero worshipers.

"Thank you," Kim says politely.

Kim walks over to the waiting room. And, instead of setting me down in one of the chairs, she simply sits, myself still a captive in her arms.

This is such a blessing and a curse. Everyone is staring. I can feel their eyes boring into us. Ugh. Ron isn't helping. He's still babbling on obliviously. Does the boy ever shut up? In any case, what is Kim's deal? It's like she's outright refusing to let me go. What's up with that? I decide to fix my gaze strictly on her, completely ignoring everyone else around us. I even manage to tune out their whispers too.

Talk to me. Talk to me. Stop staring at that darn wall and look at me!

I catch myself before I pout at her. I would never live it down if I pouted in front of all these people. My image would be ruined. I didn't even think it was possible for me to even _consider_ pouting. Man, this me is seriously something else. I fix my focus back on Kim's face.

Only she would ever get me to pout. She's the only one who can get me to do stuff I normally wouldn't do. Heck, it's her fault I'm a hero again. It's her fault I fought the world, reality, and… yeah, it's her fault I won. I sigh.

She looks at me, and I nearly let out a victory cheer.

I grin up at her, eyes filled with mischief. I muster up the strength to lean closer, burying my face into the hair near her ear.

"Are you afraid I'll disappear? Is that why you're holding me so tight?" I whisper. I lean back to take in her expression. I'm pleased to find a blush spread across her cheeks.

Score!

"Miss Possible?" calls a voice. I scowl.

Why is it every time things get interesting, some fool has to mess it up? Hego spent the night tied to the chimney after that day he interrupted things. I even gagged him, to make sure our parents wouldn't find him too early. He ended up out there the whole night. The only reason dad spotted him was because the Wegos had "accidentally" thrown a ball on the roof the next morning.

Hego could have broken free, but it would have ruined the chimney. After he had destroyed the shed and received extra chores and an early curfew for a month, he is quite careful in avoiding any destruction of our property.

Hey, what kind of sister would I be if I didn't use that to my advantage? Really, no sibling can admit to not harassing their brothers and sisters whenever they get the chance. It's a sibling thing, after all. I used to miss being able to do that. There was one time I even handcuffed the Wegos to Mego. Hahaha, that had been funny, to watch them scramble around, trying to find a key. Of course, that had been before Mego could shrink and escape. But hey, I'll never forget it.

Kim stands, drawing me back from my reverie.

"Dr. Pherris?" asks Kim. The woman in front of us smiles warmly. I groan in irritation, trying once more to squirm free. Kim throws me a quick frown before returning her attention to Dr. Pherris.

"I assume that you're here because of her?" ask the Dr. She points a thin finger at me. My lip curls slightly. Her eyes twinkle in amusement. She looks at her clipboard, flipping through a few pages. "Seems you've been here before, correct?"

Kim smiles.

"A few times," she says. Dr. Pherris is still smiling as she drops the papers back into place and waves at us.

"Right this way, then. I'll see what I can do."

Kim makes sure to keep a tight hold on me as she follows the short woman, Ron trailing behind us.

The woman motions us into a room. Before Ron can enter, she puts up a halting hand.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait out here. We should be done shortly."

Ron blushes, having nearly walked into the room without thinking. He retreats to a seat in the hall, watching as the door closes.

Dr. Pherris motions at the examine bed/table.

"Go ahead and put her down."

Kim hesitates.

"Um…"

Dr. Pherris laughs.

"Relax. She won't go anywhere." Dr. Pherris turns her beaming gaze on me. "Will you, Alexandra?"

I growl at her amused face. I would cross my arms, but I still don't have the strength to pull it off.

Kim casts darting looks between us, brow scrunched in confusion.

"Alexandra?" she echoes. Dr. Pherris chuckles, going to pull out a pair of latex gloves.

"Yes, Alexandra. That's her real name. She's just gone by Shego for so long, that's what everyone calls her." She pulls a stool up to the exam bed. She watches in amusement as I try ignoring her by staring at the opposite wall, while Kim keeps looking back and forth between us. "Alexandra is her grandmother's name. She was never particularly fond of it. When she was five, after that rather interesting comet incident, she decided to change it, refusing to answer to anything but her made up name."

"You mean she made up that name herself?" asks Kim.

"Yep. She was only five years old. Still has the same attitude, of course." Pherris grins at me, and I turn a burning glare on her.

"Why don't you just shut up and mind your own business?" I grumble. Dr. Pherris laughs before Kim can berate me.

"Alexandra dear, it's my job as your aunt to get into your business. Now, let me see that nasty burn on your side."

I scowl at her, not budging. Kim rolls her eyes and sets me down roughly on the examine table. She grabs my elbow and lifts my arm, giving my aunt a perfect view of my injured side. My aunt blinks then shakes her head.

"Alexandra dear, you're going to have to remove that cat suit of yours. I can't see the wound properly."

"You know it's perfectly fine. I heal fast. I don't need to show you anything." I turn away from her again. A hand lands on my shoulder. I look over to find my aunt staring down at me with a tightlipped frown.

"I'm serious. I need to get a better look at it." Her hand gently squeezes my shoulder. I growl at her, trying to stare her down, but she doesn't budge.

Damn it. If I keep this up, everyone's going to walk all over me whenever they want.

I turn a pointed stare on Kim.

She stares back. I roll my eyes.

"Do you mind?" I ask, waving my arm slightly in the direction behind her, namely, away from me.

Normally I'm not bashful, but for some reason, with my aunt standing in the room, the idea of undressing in front of Kim doesn't sound like such a fantastic idea.

Kim immediately flushes. I can't help but smirk inwardly in victory. The redhead quickly spins around and faces away from me, not even able to stutter out a response. Pherris watches us with a lifted eyebrow, eyes twinkling.

Before I can ask for help, my aunt is standing next to me, helping me slip out of my cat suit. I wince as it's peeled away from my wounds, but make no sound. When it's finally off, she tosses it half hazard into the trash. I gawk at her.

"Why the hell did you do that?!"

She shrugs innocently. Kim had spun around at the sound of my indignant squawk, but upon seeing me laying naked on the bed, she blushes to her roots and spins back around with an unheard squeak.

"It was ruined. I've got some clothes you can use in the closet." My aunt ignores my glare, moving my arm so she can examine my side. She frowns. "You heal fast, but that burn is taking a longer time to heal than it normally does."

I frown.

"What do you mean? Are you saying Dr. D came up with a way to semi-negate my healing ability?"

My aunt shrugs, shoulder length black hair falling out from behind her ear. She pushes her glasses back up on her nose.

"It's possible. Either way, I've never seen it take this long for a wound like that to heal. Obviously something's different. You might want to pay more attention to his new toys."

I snort, trying hard not to flinch as she gently applies a cream to my side.

"This will cool it off and sooth the pain. Now, for your leg." She quickly inspects the now shallow gash. She lifts an eyebrow. "Yep, something's off. You see this bullet wound? It's healing at the normal rate. Dr. Drakken is obviously taking into account your healing abilities." She looks up at me, lips compressed into a tight line. "Be careful Alexandra. If he's targeting you, which it looks like he's doing, you're going to have one heck of a psycho to decipher if you want to avoid being seriously injured or killed."

"Leave it to you to call Dr. D a psycho, aunt Mandy," I answer. She smiles again, eyes dancing in mirth.

"Just remember what I said. I don't want you to come visiting with something worse then your usual cuts and bruises."

She ruffles my hair, something I hate, and gets to her feet.

"By the way," she continues. "Try not exuding so much power at once. You've obviously drained yourself and are feeling the effects, aren't you?"

I grumble under my breath about nosy aunts, earning a cheeky grin from her.

"Is she all right?" asks Kim, still diligently facing the wall. Aunt Mandy pats her on the shoulder.

"She's fine. She's just needs some rest and she'll be running around causing trouble again."

"Shut up, aunty." I huff at her, doing my best to remain affronted by the accusation. I don't know whether to be pleased or irritated, having an aunt to exchange such banter with. It's even weirder to even have said aunt work in a hospital that sees me regularly. This new life thing is just flat out strange. Wont trade it. But man, I keep finding more and more things that take me by surprise. I pause a breath. "By the way aunty, how _did_ I do that?"

She turns her back to me, going to dig through the closet. I frown at her back. Just as I'm about to say something, she spins around and holds something out towards me.

"Here we go! You can wear this back!"

"HELL NO! I don't want any part of your fashion disaster!"

She's holding out a pair of coveralls and a black T-shirt. She smirks at me over the top of the coveralls.

"Well, you could walk home in a hospital gown instead."

Debate settled. I hate my aunt.

**A/N:** Hahaha, I had fun writing this one. Do let me know what you think. Shego got to see some action and we've got a new character introduced. Also, Drakken and Ron have changed a little bit as well. Ron is still a clumsy buffoon in Shego's book, but he has improved slightly in adding a small contribution to the fight. Drakken is doing a 180. He's a true villain, and as Mandy says, a psycho. Yeah, so uh... lol do let me know how you liked it. -salutes-


	5. Failing Compromise

Wade is rolling around on the floor laughing. He's clutching his sides as his laughter fills the waiting room. I glare at him, unable to get up and beat the crap out of him.

"Shut up Nerdlinger," I growl. He hoots loudly, ignoring me completely. Kim is trying to hide her own giggles behind her hand, while Ron is trying to remain standing, body trembling from his laughter. I turn a burning gaze to my aunt Mandy. "Give me something else! I'm not wearing this home!"

She smirks, clipboard clutched to her chest.

"Sorry, it's either this, or the backless hospital gown."

I scowl, catching sight of the naked rat laughing so hard he's barely keeping his balance on Ron's shoulder.

"Y-you, you…" gasps Wade, his eyes tearing. "You l-look like a country bumpkin," he says breathlessly. This earns another round of laughter from everyone.

I roll my eyes.

"If I wasn't completely drained, I would SO torch all of you." I glare at my aunt again. "Why do you even have something like this here?"

She smirks, one hand pushing her black hair behind her ear again.

"Because, I couldn't resist seeing you wear it just once."

My eyes widen. I immediately start struggling to stand, pushing myself up from the wheelchair. My body is shaking so bad that the wheelchair trembles beneath me. My aunt lifts an eyebrow. Seeing me manage to take a step, she hastily checks her clipboard.

"Well kiddies, I'm off. I've got more patients to see." She turns around and starts to make her way down the hall.

"Hey! Get back here! I'm going to blacken you like tinder!" I growl, struggling harder to release the wheelchair and give chase. I feel like a rickety old woman that can't even get out of her chair to chase down someone who stole her last coupon.

Kim giggles as she forces me back down into the wheelchair. Keeping me firmly in place, she turns to Wade and Ron.

"Come on you two. Let's go get something to eat."

I snap my head around.

"You are NOT taking me anywhere but home! I WON'T be seen wandering around town like this!"

She smirks as she walks around to take hold of the wheelchair's handles. She begins pushing me towards the exit. Wade and Ron stumble after us, both of them still laughing.

"I think we'll go to Bueno Nacho today," she says. I twist around best I can, glaring at her.

"No way in HELL! Take me home! I REFUSE to be seen there! Especially in this getup!"

Kim smirks down on me, eyes dancing in mischief.

"Come now, Shego. You're starving."

She lifts a pointed eyebrow when my stomach decides to growl loudly. I clench my teeth, fingers clutching the chair tightly.

"Don't-you-dare." I say flatly.

----Bueno Nacho----

"I'm going to kill you all," I grumble. I hunch down in the plush booth, scowling at the tray of food in front of me.

Ron is loudly scarffing his own food, his rodent helping him along. Wade is eating at a fast pace, but it's not as messy or as disgusting as Ron's method. Kim is taking her time and enjoying the meal. I just stare at mine. I don't even attempt to reach for it.

"So, about this mission," Wade says around a mouthful of food. He swallows and pauses a moment to look around the table. "What exactly happened?"

He gives me a pointed look. I don't move my eyes from my tray. Kim takes another bite of a chip before answering.

"We were ambushed by Beebees. They just kept coming." She shrugs.

"I saw that," replies Wade. "I'm asking why Drakken seems competent and how Shego managed to torch all the leftovers without breaking a sweat."

Kim and Ron give him confused stares. I force myself not to shift. I can feel his gaze on me.

"What do you mean?" asks Kim. "Drakken has always been someone we've had to keep a close eye on."

Wade rubs his eyes tiredly. Ron actually stops eating, the topic of conversation catching his attention.

"Yeah, Drakken is spooky, man. He comes up with all those crazy inventions, and he's nearly killed us several times!" The blond boy shivers, Rufus nodding his head vigorously.

"Uh-huh," squeaks the rodent.

"But they don't self-destruct or blow up in his face," mutters Wade absently. He rubs his chin, eyes locked some unseen spot on the table. I frown.

I shouldn't say anything. It isn't time to introduce Kim and Ron to the past. Wade and I hadn't come up with a feasible way to do that yet. To say anything along the lines that I want to would only have them wondering what the heck I'm talking about.

And yet, we can't leave them hanging. Wade already has Kim giving him a curious look and Ron staring aghast. If I don't say anything, with Wade spacing out as he is, he's only going to say something stupid and reveal everything in the wrong way.

I sigh. Stupid Nerdlinger.

"It's not the Dr. D you remember," I say aloud, making sure to keep my eyes on my food. "After all, you're head is on a little backwards after those dreams."

I look up and give him a hard stare. He meets my eyes. He blinks in sudden understanding. He coughs then clears his throat.

"Yeah, guess you're right." He chuckles, scratching his cheek. "Guess I'm confusing reality with my dreams."

Ron's eyes widen.

"What kind of dreams you been havin'?" asks the blond. Wade grins at him. "Cause the Drakken I know is creepy, with a capital C!"

"Some funny, some not. The ones about Dr. Drakken are funny though," replies Wade. He grins again. "In my dreams, all his inventions blow up or malfunction. They usually end up destroying his secret lair too. In all honestly, all his plans are flops. Though he tries to take over the world, everyone knows he'll never manage it."

Ron laughs.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound anything like our Drakken," he says. He goes back to eating his food.

Kim stares at Wade only a moment longer before she turns to look at me. I can tell alone by the intensity of her stare that she doesn't quite buy Wade's and my act.

I could hit the fool. If he's not careful, we'll present all this stuff incorrectly, and at the wrong time too. It will only come back to bite us in the butt if that happens. And personally, I really, really don't want to lose all this. I've … become a little too attached.

I stare at her, her red hair shining in the sunlight streaming through the window. Her mission clothes have been replaced with a tight green T-shirt and Capri pants and a pair of sandals. On her wrist is the friendship bracelet that this new Me had made for her in junior high. Her concerned frown looks adorable, and if I could muster the courage, as well as the strength, I would pull her into an embrace.

Some sunshine reflects off of Wade's watch and hits me in the eyes.

"AHCHOO!"

Ron jumps, Kim flinches, and Wade's head snaps around so fast you'd swear he'd get whiplash.

I rub my nose sheepishly, grumbling to myself about wanting to shoot the sun out of the sky.

They all burst out laughing. I glare at them before reaching out and gingerly pick up a nacho smothered in cheese. I wince as a glob of cheese slides off the end and splatters back into the mess of cheese and chips. Slowly, I bring it to my lips and take a small nibble.

I close my eyes and scrunch up my face.

It's as good as I remember. Crap. I'm going to get clogged arteries from this. I sigh and stuff the entire chip in my mouth, biting down with a loud crunch.

I glance to my side to see Kim staring wide eyed at me.

Ron claps his hands, earning my attention.

"Booyah!" he cheers. "You've just had your official Bueno Nacho tasty treat!"

I roll my eyes and pick up a second chip.

"This food is going to kill me," I grouse, keeping my face firmly in a scowl.

Ron just grins, his pet chattering away and pointing at me in enthusiasm.

Ugh, buffoon and buffoon's naked rodent. Yay…

Sometimes I wish I could squash the little bugger. He's a nosy little thing. There was one time I had been in my room talking to myself, a normal habit, and the rodent walks in and sits there and listens. Then, to my utter shock, he starts trying to answer the questions I was posing to myself.

He's actually done that more then once, now that I think about it.

He also has the bad habit of falling asleep in my backpack. Ron claims he finds the smell soothing. So, while we're in class, Rufus will sneak into my bag and fall asleep. That's how he ends up at my house and begins listening to my one sided conversations. It drives me crazy to turn around at his sudden chatter to find him sitting on my bed, looking as serious as a rodent can, as he answers.

I don't want to know how Ron understands him. Granted, the little bugger can be cute.

Bah, I need to stop thinking about the naked mole rat.

I take another bite of food, letting my mind wander.

"Mommy?"

I freeze. I'm surrounded in grey fog. I turn around.

My heart stops.

"Junior?" I ask hoarsely. My eyes tear up. I can vaguely see the outline of our last apartment around us.

Junior smiles, her strawberry blond hair cascading down her little shoulders. She looks about six, wearing one of my large white T-shirts. She holds up her arms, bottom lip sticking out. Her hazel eyes look up expectantly.

My own lip trembles as I reach for her, scooping her small body up into my arms. I hold her close, burying my face in her hair. My eyes burn, as I try to suppress my tears. It's no use. My tears fall and dampen her hair. Her little arms squeeze me tighter, face buried in my shoulder.

"Mommy, I miss you."

I sniff, stroking her soft hair.

"Me too, Junior. I miss you too."

She leans back and looks up into my face. Her eyes look up at me innocently.

"When can I come home, Mommy? When can I see you again?"

"Oh, baby, I don't know. I don't know." I lean forward and press my forehead against hers, hand still stroking her hair. "I'm trying my best, baby. I'm working on it. I'm going to make everything better."

"Promise?" she asks, arms wrapping themselves around my neck.

I give her a watery smile.

"Promise, Junior. I promise."

She smiles happily, hazel eyes sparkling. I kiss her on the forehead. My chest feels like it's stuck in a vise. Lord, how can this little bundle do this to me?

"Shego?"

I snap out of my trance, a hand on my shoulder gently shaking me.

For several breaths, all I can do is sit there mutely. My head is bowed, hair covering my face. It makes a much needed curtain, allowing me to sort out my feelings unhindered. And here I thought I'd finally started to escape my tortured shell.

I take a few deep calming breaths, mind still filled with the sight of Junior standing in front of me. That sweet innocent face… it's so easy to understand how I lost control of myself. For that little face, for those little arms reaching up to me… I'd do anything, anything at all. She was my greatest weakness. She still is, really.

"Wade…" I mumble, my voice low and gravelly with emotion. I grit my teeth to keep myself from letting out a choked sob.

"What you need?" he asks gently. He has my hands captured in his. It's the first time I take notice, but he's holding my hands tightly in his.

Does he not fear that I might burn him? I've done it before after all.

… But he didn't care then either. He knew what would happen if he approached me, yet he did. The old burn on his chest was from me, after all. I still feel guilty about it, though I'll never admit that to anyone.

I frown as I stare at our hands. His fingers are long, thin and strong. His dark skin stands out boldly against my pale greenish pigment. His hands practically envelop my smaller ones.

It takes a lot of guts and trust to do that. To hold my hands, my usually encased in flames hands… it takes a lot of confidence, not only in oneself, but in me.

I shake my head slowly.

When did I ever earn his trust? Really earn it? And when and how did I start returning it?

I let out a shaky breath.

"I want to see them."

There's a hiss as Wade inhales sharply. When he exhales, he gives my hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Do you want to go now?"

"Can we?" I ask.

I'd never say please. That's Kimmie's thing. Me… well, I only say please when I've been backed into a corner and my only resort is to utter that word through clenched teeth. But, had he said no, I probably would have said it.

I need to see Junior's picture. I need to see her face, her eyes, her smile... I need to see the little brat I raised from infancy to the cusp of her teenage years, years that she never reached. I need something to hold, something to look at. I need to remember what I'm fighting for. I need something to cling to in the long, dark hours of the night. I need my Junior.

"Come on, we can go there now," says Wade. He shoos Ron out of the booth. Ron snatches the last bit of his food and stuffs it into his mouth. Rufus quickly jumps on the blond's shoulder. Kim gently assists me back into the wheel chair, brow puckered in worry.

Wade grabs the wheelchair before Kim can. He smiles gently at her when she frowns at him.

"You don't know where I live," he says quietly, almost too softly for me to hear. That earns a blush from her. He gently steers me to the door. "Come on, Ron," he says louder. "Or you'll get left behind."

"Aww! I wanted more nachos!" he whines, grabbing the trash and dumping it. He jogs to catch up to us. Wade pauses at the door to wait for him. "AAHHH!"

There's a loud squeak from his sneaker as his foot slips out from beneath him and he face-plants on the floor. He lands in the culprit; the puddle of soda soaks the front of his shirt. He groans.

Wade chuckles, Kim smirks, and I roll my eyes.

"Come on Ron. I'll give you a clean shirt once we get to my house," says Wade with a grin. Ron gets to his feet and examines his drenched shirt.

"Aww man! Why does this always happen to me?"

**A/N: **I think you're going to like the next chapter :) lol this is a needed filler leading up to it, so sorry if this is a little short.


	6. Scattered Snapshots

**A/N: **Er, to tie in with what I said in my last note, this actually turned out to be more then one chapter. I got to writing it, and I just couldn't fit everything into one chapter. lol, hope you like the 2 chapters I came up with.

-----------------------

"Jeeze Nerdlinger, you sure make it hard to find your house," I grumble, my nerves slightly better after having a chance to cool down. "I think we went around in about twenty circles just to get here."

Wade laughs, pushing a button and entering the backyard through the automatic gate.

"Old habits die hard. Besides, it wont even be in the same place by tomorrow."

I roll my eyes.

"Paranoid freak," I mutter. Kim lifts an eyebrow, while Wade merely smirks.

"Look who's talking," he retorts. I glare at him as he pushes the wheelchair across a sidewalk to the back door. "In any case, don't come looking for me here tomorrow because I'm serious. I won't be here."

"Where will you be?" asks Ron.

"Somewhere else," is Wade's simple answer. This earns a flustered look from Ron. Kim just pats his shoulder and follows Wade through the back door into the house.

Inside is furnished like any normal home. It's got a cozy lived in atmosphere, as if his family could be the kind to sit around on the couch and watch TV or discuss how their days went.

I snort to myself. As if. Wade and his family are complete recluses. It's very hard to find them all in one room together. If it's one thing they all have in common, it's to lock themselves into their rooms with their machines. And, because they are such private folk, and they do the touch of illegal work, they make sure they keep themselves out of the radar by moving at least three or four times a week.

I'm not joking. Nerdlinger's home never seems to be in the same place twice. It can be close, but never the same. This house, by tomorrow, will be handed off to some complete stranger, fully furnished as it is now… minus the little mechanical add ins that are hidden behind the walls in secret rooms and compartments. To be honest, I don't think anyone really understands how deceptively normal this house looks. All the crap hidden in the walls would probably be capable of starting its own little war, weapon wise as well as information wise.

Wade's parents are both high ranked unnamed officials in the government. They do a lot of work cracking codes, building firewalls, digging through information, and basically stealing codes, plans and blueprints. But, of course, like any person with the power to do anything, they also have dipped their fingers into their own bosses' files. Granted, those bosses don't know about it, but I've got a glimpse or two of some of the printed copies that they forgot to stash. And it probably didn't help that they weren't expecting company either.

Yes, I have found Nerdlinger's house before. Once, and only once, and it took several months of careful investigating and digging, but I did find it on my own. The interesting part? This Me did it all on her own. So… doy, I'm shit hot here too. Is it no wonder that my name is so popular? Cause, damn I'm good.

Wade halts in the kitchen, eyes locked on the staircase. Slowly, as if grudgingly, he turns to Kim and Ron.

"Hey, I'm afraid you'll have to wait here."

Kim and Ron exchange looks.

"Wait here?" echoes Kim. "Are you bringing whatever it is back here?"

Wade shakes his head.

"No."

Kim frowns, crossing her arms.

"Then why can't we come with you? You're taking Shego, aren't you?"

Wade winces at Kim's tone.

"Yes, I'm taking Shego."

"Then why can't we come as well?" she demands. Ron just looks back and forth between the two of them, Rufus doing the same from the blond's cargo pocket.

Wade sighs.

"Kim, this is very personal stuff. I… don't want to share it without her consent. If we get up there, and she decides you can see it, we'll call you up, okay?"

Kim's arms drop to her sides, her face falling in defeat and slight hurt.

Wade and I both wince.

"Princess," I call her attention, forcing enough energy into my limbs to roll the wheelchair a foot or so towards her. "Can you… just wait here for just a little bit?"

I beg her with my eyes to stay, to listen. I can't handle explaining to her what's going on without… well, explaining what's going on. Granted that doesn't make much sense. But, if I try telling her right now, she's only going to get confused and probably a bit more irritated.

She frowns down at me, nearly pushing out that bottom lip into a pout. Heaven help me if she does that.

"Why do you keep shutting me out?" she asks softly.

Wade watches with a slightly pained smile. Ron is trying to look between all of us without snapping his head right off his shoulders.

"What is everyone going on about?!" demands Ron. He huffs and stomps a foot impatiently. "None of you are making any sense! And the Ron man is getting completely left out!"

Wade and I roll our eyes. Kim chuckles weakly.

"We're going to grab a snack while Wade and Shego go take a look at something." She pivots around and heads to the fridge. "Come on Ron," she calls, forcing the blond to walk over to her. Wade and I look at each other, both of us knowing we have to do something soon. Kim won't keep buying the same excuses.

Wade takes hold of the wheelchair again. He gently pushes me towards the stairs. He stops at the bottom and pushes an unseen button. A square of the floor, roughly the width of the staircase, lifts up with a hiss. I blink, startled slightly as Wade puts on the wheelchair's breaks so I don't roll off the side. The square begins moving up the stairs with a slight hum, myself and Wade carted along on top.

Wade grins when he sees my startled look. I glare at him in return. I scan the hallway as Wade rolls me off the square and lets it descend to its original position. I glance behind me in time to catch Wade giving the kitchen one last furtive look. It makes me do the same.

I run headlong into Kim's eyes. We both stare at each other for several seconds, Wade silently watching the two of us. I can see the pain of being left out is causing her, and I can only hope she sees the regret in having to do so in my own eyes.

Wade gently pushes me out of sight. I think he could tell we would have stayed that way for a while if he allowed us to.

He opens a door and pushes me into a bedroom. I look around the tidy room, a few science and music posters up on the wall. A modest computer sits on a desk in one corner of the room while a decent sized stereo system takes up the opposite.

He chuckles under my patient stare. He reaches out with some handheld item and pushes a button.

The stereo system slides forward and the wall slides up, revealing a door. With a pleased smirk, he wheels me into the hidden room.

I almost burst out laughing.

The room is just as I remember. How do I remember it if I've never been in it? It's an exact copy of his past self's room. It's filled with wires, hard drives, monitors, and several things I can't help but leave unidentified. There's a couple tables off to one side with bits and pieces of half finished projects littering their surface. Shelves, hooks, and drawers store all of his tools on the wall behind the tables.

He mutely pushes me over to the vast display of monitors surrounding a single, overstuffed chair. He reaches over me and picks up a thick yellow envelope. He looks at me, his gaze carrying the weight of his mood.

I hold out my hand.

"Shego, this is everything we are and never were. It's all the pieces that we tore apart to put back together like this." He waves a hand at our surroundings. He pauses, resting his free hand on the desk console. "With this, we can also effectively tear apart all that we put together."

I don't turn away from his unwavering gaze.

I knew what would be resting on these flimsy slips of square glossy paper. I knew the moment he told me he had them. I also know that I can't dismiss the burning desire to see them. I can't force myself to ignore the need to see everything that was.

He slips the envelope into my hand, watching my face closely as I open it up and let the pictures slide into my hand.

I nearly drop all of them on the floor. The picture glaring back at me is Kim's and Ron's wedding photo. I mentally curse my luck and quickly put the picture on the bottom of the stack.

Wade's lip curls up slightly at my hasty action to burry the picture, but he remains silent as I pause at the next picture.

The next photo is of GJ's first group of public executions. They have all of the captured law breakers lined up along a wall. Opposite of the accused is a line of GJ agents, blatantly bearing the GJ insignia on their shoulders. The agents are shouldering rifles, one man holding a whistle to his lips as he readies the call.

I flip to the next photo. It's a gruesome picture of the hangings. The next photo is of the electric chairs. The fourth, the seconds before Drakken lost his head, his be-header swinging the large axe down in a dooming arc. That picture gives me a moment of pause, a silent moment of respect for my old employer.

I shiver.

I'd rather have that blue idiot then the one storming around now. This Dr. D isn't just crazy, he's insane. Not the good insane either. He's the kind of insane that will get people hurt or killed. And, this Dr. D likes it that way. He enjoys it. He seriously gets off watching people suffer.

I quickly shuffle to the next photo before I can delve any deeper on the subject.

I glance through the next handful of photos. Most of them are of GJ and the progressing evidence of their rapid hostile take over. After getting through all of those, I come to a picture of my old Nerdlinger with a woman in his arms.

Wade is wearing a pair of loose jeans, a tight T-shirt showing off his rippling muscles. The woman is wearing a long yellow patterned dress. Her chocolate eyes look warm and soulful. On the woman's slender brown finger is a large diamond ring.

I look up at the teen beside me.

"Is that…?"

He nods solemnly, eyes glued to the picture.

"I… thought I pulled all of those out," he croaks. His hand trembles as he reaches out and gently caresses the woman's face. He closes his eyes in pain. I know he's reliving the moment of her death. It's etched into his mind, very much like Junior's and Kim's are etched into mine.

I lay a hand on his shoulder.

I'm not much in the comfort department, but if there's anything I do know, it's the understanding of what he's going through. I sigh, slowly picking up the photo and holding it out to him. He opens his eyes. Seeing my actions, he shakes his head.

"No, leave it. We'll… need it to show Kim and Ron the truth."

I nod slowly, replacing it into the pile.

I inhale sharply. Junior is looking up at me, my old self resting a hand on her head. Junior is grinning at the camera impishly, while I glare at it.

"Our first picture together," I mumble. Wade bobs his head, looking just as affected as I am. "You… wouldn't let me be in the pictures before this, remember?"

I try to sound teasing, but his wince tells me how he takes it. He smiles brokenly.

"To be honest, if I could change one thing, it would be that." He meets my eyes. "You have proved yourself more times then I can count. I should have realized it sooner."

I shake my head, attention back on the photo.

"You and I were enemies back then. You had no reason to trust me. The only thing holding you back was that you heard the recording of Kim telling me to take care of her baby. Had it not been for that…"

"You and I might still be fighting," he finishes with a crooked smile. "I'm glad she asked you." He squeezes my shoulder.

I bite back a bitter sob.

"Are you sure? After all, had she left Junior to someone else, Junior might have lived."

"And we'd both be dead," he replies seriously. "You and I both know that. Between the two of us, we survived through days we never should have seen the end of. And, there's no telling what would have happened to Junior. GJ took the Possibles forcibly, locking them in their underground labs to develop stuff with their unique talents." He shakes his head. "No, I think that even though our timeline crashed and burned, that was the best possible outcome that we could have hoped for between the three of us." He retracts his hand. "Either way, I'm glad I've had you as my partner."

I snort.

"Just don't expect any Christmas cards or anything," I retort, trying to hide how deeply his words effect me.

"You already sent me one," he replies with a smirk. He whips out something from a drawer and holds it up for me to see. I groan.

"That is sooooo not any of my doing! Had I known about it, I would have fried it before it even hit the mailbox!"

He laughs, tucking the card safely out of my limited reach.

"And that's exactly why she didn't tell you about it," he says cheerfully. He waves it in front of me again, Kim smiling brightly for the camera while I smirk. I lunge for it, but only touch air.

"Damn it! Give it here! I'm going to burn it!"

He laughs.

"Tut-tut, can't have you doing that. After all, it's not very often you grace anyone with Christmas cards."

I scowl at him. Before I can make another attempt to snatch the card, he slips it back into its hiding place.

He sets a heavy hand on the pile of photos, face suddenly solemn.

"It's time to tell them."

I blink.

Damn Nerdlinger. First things are all emotional, then he teases me, and now he's gone all serious! He's still an annoying brat.

"When did you decide this?" I ask, forcing myself to remain emotionless. "Last we discussed this, we were going to wait for a little while."

Wade doesn't flinch.

"But things are changing too swiftly to take our time. If we don't tell them, they're going to begin distancing themselves from us. If we do that, we might never get them back."

I frown.

"But if we tell them too quickly, it could blow up in our faces."

"We're going to have to trust them."

I wince.

"Nerdlinger, you know I've never been very good at placing any sort of trust in others."

Again, he doesn't seem affected by my comment. He merely crosses his arms and leans back against the console.

"You trust Kim."

"I trust Kim to listen. I don't trust how she might react."

"Ron can be trusted."

"Ron is a buffoon."

"But he can be trusted," repeats Wade. He stands up and begins pacing the room. Ugh, such an odd habit for the computer freak to pick up from his wife. After all, he used to be able to sit perfectly still in his chair for hours on end. Though I never had the chance to meet the woman, he's told me enough about her that I have no doubt where he picked up a few of his quirks. "We have to tell them Shego."

"I know we do. But as I said, this has too much of an opportunity to blow up in our faces. I don't think the timing is right at all. Hell, I haven't even asked Kim on a date!"

He chuckles slightly at my remark, but he remains studious in his pacing.

"Look, Kim already knows something's up. We know that. We also know that we both have a hard time lying to her. Why? She's got that damn annoying pout of hers."

I can't help but grunt in agreement. Of all of Kim's weapons, we are weakest to that one. Even Wade has felt it's power. After all, it's the only reason he stayed with her throughout her hero career, especially after she got out of college.

"So you're saying, because we suddenly suck at lying to a freakin' teenager, we're going to spill the beans."

He swivels around and scratches his head sheepishly.

"Do you have a better idea?"

I open my mouth then let it snap closed.

Crap. I don't have anything better. If anything, I have less. I hadn't even considered telling them this soon, mostly because my end of the bargain will suffer the most.

I rub my forehead, a small ache between my shoulder blades announcing itself as the painkillers wear off.

Hey, I heal quickly, but I feel the pain just as much as anyone else. The whole smashing into the street thing did bruise my back pretty good. Not to mention that sitting in this chair all friggin' day isn't helping.

I squirm slightly to alleviate some of the pain.

"Wade, how will we explain her and Ron? How will we explain Junior?"

Wade lets out a relieved sigh. Guess he was worried I wouldn't go along with this insane plan… Not that I want to.

Damn my limited choices.

"We're going to omit those little details for now. We'll bring those up later."

"She'll get pissed when she finds out we did that."

Wade shrugs.

"I'd rather omit that and suffer her wrath then try and deal with her teenage drama over having married her best friend. Especially discovering they had a kid together. We'll elude that there's more to the story, but we're going to play it off like we can't let go of that information yet."

I roll my eyes.

"You really think she's going to buy that?"

"You better hope she does, cause it's your ass, not mine."

I throw his wireless mouse at him.

"Hey!" He ducks, letting the mouse crash into the wall and shatter. He frowns at the mess. "You broke my mouse!"

I roll my eyes with a snort.

"Don't get cocky on me then. Besides, I bet you have a more tricked out mouse you've been wanting to test out hiding around here somewhere."

He blinks at me, looking slightly surprised.

Yeah, I think I know Nerdlinger too well.


	7. Consequences of Playing God

I swallow, yellow envelope in my lap.

Shit, shit, shit! I don't want to be here! I don't want to be here at all!

Damn it Nerdlinger! I shouldn't have let you talk me into this!

I shift, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart.

I slowly hold out the envelope, a few choice pictures tucked safely underneath me.

Kim takes hold of the envelope, both her and Ron sharing the couch while Wade stands impatiently behind me. We watch them closely as they begin rifling through the photos. Kim's face pales considerably, while Ron actually starts gagging at some of the more gory photos. If I wasn't so anxious, I would be laughing at his reaction, probably even adding in a few jibes.

I squirm in the wheelchair, my stomach in knots. The waiting is killing me. If I wasn't making myself breath, I would have passed out a few minutes ago.

I almost let out a sigh of relief when Kim reaches the last photo. But, to my dismay, she starts going through the stack again. Her face is covered in shock, denial. Ron's positively fixated. His mouth is hanging open and his complexion is a little green. His rat is covering its little mouth, eyes wide.

Wade and I exchange looks.

This is the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done.

Crap. Just imagine how it will be when I have to tell her about Ron and Junior.

I groan softly and plop my face into my hand. I'm doomed.

I hear the sound of a stack of paper being tapped on the coffee table. I lift my head to find Kim and Ron staring at the stack in silence, neither able to look away.

"W… what is this?" asks Kim, her voice cracking slightly. "What is this?!" she demands louder. She's trembling. I can't tell if it's from anger or fear.

"That," answers Wade, "Is tomorrow's destroyed history."

"What do you mean?" she asks, her hands clutching the photos as she waves them in the air. "What is this?! What kind of joke is this?! It's not funny!"

I sigh.

I hadn't expected this kind of outburst. I had considered it, but I hadn't really thought she'd be losing it like this. If she continues freaking out, there won't be any reasoning with her.

"It's not a joke," I answer. Her jaw flaps soundlessly for a moment, as if she hadn't expected me to respond. "All that, is quite serious business." I wave a hand at the photos.

"T-they have to be faked. T-there's no way…"

Wade shakes his head sadly.

"Those are real. If you don't believe me, you can take them to a photo shop and ask them." It's obvious he's hoping she won't doubt his word. He'd never lied to her before, and before this fiasco, he never even would have considered it.

"But this…" Kim shakes her head in disbelief. Ron is still speechless beside her.

"It's all true," I continue. "Everything you see, has happened."

"But it hasn't! GJ is a secret organization out to protect the world! They aren't out to conquer it!"

I shake my head sadly.

"In the beginning, yes. GJ was always the studious guardians hidden in the shadows. But, somehow, somewhere along the line, their plans changed. Guess they figured it would be easier to keep the peace if they ruled everything."

Kim shakes her head again, eyes looking watery.

"But why? Why?!"

"You…" starts Wade. He stops, eyes darting to mine.

Crap.

"You died," I say bluntly, my voice barely above a whisper.

There's the hiss and clacking as the photos slip from her fingers and fall on the wooden floor.

"WHAT?!" shouts Ron. He's on his feet instantly, hands balled into fists at his sides. "What kind of sick game are you playing?!" he demands, voice echoing off the walls.

Wade and I both wince, neither of us able to look at anything but the wood floor beneath our feet.

My hands clutch the armrests in a vain attempt to right my blurry world.

This is much harder then I'd envisioned it. Much harder indeed. Damn it, I'm almost in tears!

"This isn't a game," I answer lowly. I can barely keep my body from visibly trembling. "This is a serious matter. We're… we're attempting to bring you in on our shared secret."

Ron slams his hands down onto the coffee table.

"So you bring out bloody photos and a line saying Kim died?!" He slams his hands down again, startling everyone. "That's not good enough!"

I open my mouth and close it several times.

"It's not exactly easy to explain," answers Wade, thankfully taking the heat from me. "As you can tell, it's not exactly a light topic." He vaguely waves a hand at the scattered photos.

"But you said Kim died! She DIED! What the heck is up with that?!" he bellows, his face beat red.

"We're not exactly from this past…" starts Wade. Ron interrupts him.

"Meaning what?! How does that explain Kim dying?!" Ron glares at us, Kim sitting meekly beside him.

The sight makes my chest contract.

"It means, at one point, Kim died." I answer. I feel his burning gaze fall on my shoulders. "It means, that we don't have the same past you do."

"That doesn't explain a damn thing!" rages the blond. He barely keeps himself from throwing the coffee table across the room.

I slam my fist down on the wheelchair's armrest.

"If you sit your ass down, we'll explain! Damn it! If you think we're trying to bull shit you, we wouldn't even be having this conversation because it would be much easier to just lie!" I shout back. "We're sticking our necks out right now! If you really want to lob them off, keep up your damn ranting! Otherwise, sit down and shut the hell up! We're trying to keep our friendship intact!"

Ron's jaw tightens. He towers above me, coiled as if ready to strike. I can feel Wade standing tensely beside me, ready to leap forward should the blond truly lose his cool.

After several tense seconds, Ron throws himself back into the couch. He crosses his arms and glares at us.

"Start explaining," he says flatly.

I can't still my trembling limbs. I'm too overwrought with emotion. It swirls around from anger, fear, loss, to hope and back again. Wade is completely mute. He's watching Ron very closely. I can already tell that Wade is in his fight or flight mode. He's been on the receiving end of too many attacks, so that now, he automatically falls into his defense mode.

In all honesty, I think if Ron had made a move, Wade would have hurt Ron to protect me. Wade and I have had half a life time to get to know each other, to trust each other. Ron and him barely communicated. Kim was usually their go between. I shouldn't compare friendship in ladders, but because I do, I think Wade holds me much higher then Ron on his list. Again, meaning he would side with me before he sided with the blond.

I sigh, knowing I'll have to be the one to continue the explanation.

"Wade and I have changed history," I begin, carefully keeping my voice neutral. "Everything you know, has been altered."

Ugh, that doesn't exactly sound right. It makes it sound like everything was messed up for evil purposes. I rub my forehead.

"The past that Wade and I remember, your future, has been changed," I continue. "Because, in our past, everything came crashing down around us." I point at the photos. "Those are all the proof we have, but it's solid evidence of what happened. Before things changed, you," I point at Kim and then Ron. "Both of you died."

Ron's eyes narrow.

"Both of us?"

"Both of you," I repeat. "Both of you were killed on a mission. GJ took the opportunity to announce their presence. They also decided that without Kim to keep them in check, they'd show their true colors. Again, the photos give you an idea of what they did. That is only a small sample though. They ruled with an iron fist. They brought fear to everyone. No one was safe, not even the heroes."

I swallow, recalling that even my brothers had been hunted down. But, because of their unique powers, they were used as lab rats, instead of being slaughtered like the others.

"GJ went on a killing spree. They killed anyone they thought might cause them problems. Then, they began forcing scientists to create weapons and tools for their desire. They took out anyone who disobeyed. If you were lucky, you quickly learned how to disappear." I take a deep breath to keep myself somewhat calm. "It was not a pleasant way to live, being hunted. Wade wasn't lying when he spoke of the differences between the Dr. Drakken we know, and the one now. Our Dr. Drakken was really a fool. A genius, but a fool. He was harmless when it came to conquering the world. This Dr. Drakken is competent. He's also off his rocker and dangerously good at planning takeovers."

"In any case," I go on. "Our past is nothing like it is now. I used to fight on the opposite side of the law. I was a villainess when you were the heroes. Nerdlinger never left his room, and only you two went out on missions. Then you died and everything changed. We tried to fool ourselves into thinking everything would right itself, but it didn't. It got worse. Wade lost his family, his wife. I lost my two most precious treasures."

I pause, my mind stuck again on Junior.

Wade finally finds his voice.

"When we had nothing left, nothing at all, we decided that things had to change. We couldn't live with things as they were." Wade kneels beside me. "Somehow, we discovered the threads to reality, to possibility. After running through ideas and plans, we decided upon something relatively close to having a far better outcome. So, we rebuilt things. We tore everything apart and started over."

"So you're playing with our lives?" asks Ron darkly. Wade and I look up sharply, both of us alarmed by the very idea.

"Are you stupid?!" I blurt. "Do you WANT to die at a young age?! Do you WANT to lose everything?! Do you WANT your family to be thrown in cages and put through the emotional agony of, not only losing their son, but their very freedom?! Do you want our world to crumble apart and run itself into the ground because someone wasn't brave enough to try and save it?!" I slam my hands down on the armrests. "The only way anyone would be insane enough to find the dead side of forever is if they lost everything! If they had nothing else left, if they saw nothing but death and destruction and decided they couldn't handle seeing how far the world has fallen, they would try SOMETHING to save at least the small hope that the past they know will be a future they can prevent!"

I stand on quaking legs, my hands glowing very faintly.

"Don't you DARE accuse me of fiddling with your life! If I wanted to do that, I could have stayed on the edge of reality and played god for eternity! But I didn't! I chose to come here to save your sorry ass and hopefully have a brighter future! I lost everything! You hear me?! EVERYTHING! All I loved, all I cherished was ripped from my grasp! Right before my eyes!" I cut my hand in Wade's direction. "Wade lost his wife! They fucking shot her to death right in his arms! If you think he's out to fuck with your piss ass hide, you wouldn't be sitting here right now! If I was out running things for a kick, I wouldn't care about all that bullshit! I'd let the world run itself into the ground! But I didn't! I won't! I'm going to save this sorry timeline because I damn well want to see it grow! I want to see what it can become WITHOUT everything falling to hell!"

I can barely stay upright, my body shaking so horribly. The green glow around my hands has fizzed out, the energy I had recovered the last few hours, lost.

"Damn buffoon," I growl softly. "You don't get it at all. You don't understand anything…"

The world around me blurs out, and no matter how many times I blink, my eyes remain blind with tears. I can feel my body starting to give out, feel my knees starting to buckle.

A slim arm wraps around my waist, another around my shoulders. I'm pulled against a sturdy body, their breath tickling my ear.

"Is this really what you've been hiding?" asks a gentle voice. It makes a sob escape my throat. "Is that what had you so distant?"

"Y-yes…" I croak. "Y-you have no idea… no idea…" My bottom lip starts trembling, and I bite it to still it.

"Shhhh… it's okay. Don't worry about it now. Tell me later."

A hand starts caressing my hair, the other arm still firmly around my waist.

I shake my head, foolishly speaking without thinking.

"But t-there's more, Kim… There's so much more… My treasures, Kimmie… my treasures…"

"Shhh…"

She pulls away and cups my face in her hand.

"Princess, my treasures…"

She gently strokes my cheek with her thumb.

"Shego, it's all right. Look at me. I'm standing right here. I'm holding you, I'm touching you. I'm real. I'm not dead. I'm here. I'm alive. Your treasures, we'll get them back. Everything will be okay. Whatever happened… we'll make sure it doesn't happen again. I promise."

Damn, I hate feeling weak. I hate getting to that point that I can't carry the weight of the world any more. I can't carry myself without spiraling down into the deepest, darkest part of my soul and remaining there for several days on end, lost to my own misery. The strain of consequence is a constant burden. For good or bad, I will always carry it around, knowing that everything I see, everything I hear and do, is because of my actions.

Wade and I both carry that burden. Between the two of us, it's a wonder we haven't managed to destroy ourselves and all of that around us. We're so emotionally unstable, all it takes is a few little words to send us helter-skelter.

A damnable weakness.

"Shego, this is your new life," Kim says, her face only a few inches from mine. "I know a lot must have happened for you to get here, but you're here now. For all that it's worth, live this life to enjoy it."

Before I can register what's going on, the distance between us disappears.

**A/N:** Dude! What did you think? Care to pop a few reviews?! I definately want to know what ya'll think! Oh, and to explain things just a wee bit, I don't see a conversation like this going over very well. I mean, even if you're the calm, open minded person, you're not going to take to the idea that everything you know was created by the people you thought you knew better then anyone else. So... yeah... um... guess that's all for now! Toodles!

P.S. I thought I'd up the story to M, just to be on the safe side.


	8. Forgiveness & Mother's Wrath

To say I was in a state of shock would be an understatement. If I didn't know otherwise, I would have sworn time stopped. Everything seemed to shut down, all at once, which part of my mind found really amusing. Why? It wasn't anything but a simple peck on the lips, but it felt like my whole world was wrapped into that one instant. I couldn't wrap my mind around it. It was just… left to blank out aimlessly.

Wade had acted immediately. He'd yanked Ron out of the room before the blond could say anything stupid. Ron still hadn't managed to digest the other information yet. His mind probably blew up at this sudden revelation. My mind had. I'm still trying to sort out the pieces.

She finally pulls back, looking up into my eyes with innocent understanding.

I blink. Understanding? What on earth does she understand? My brow scrunches up in confusion.

"I, you… we…"

She grins slightly at my uselessly flapping jaw.

"I just wanted to prove that I was real." She hesitates, then reaches out to gently touch my cheek. "You… You could have chosen to leave me dead."

I frown darkly.

"Like hell I could."

She smiles, but she's still got more to say.

"You said we were enemies. You said… that we used to fight, and you were the bad guy… You could have. You could have walked away and left us all for dead. So… I'm just… really glad you didn't."

"And I told you, like hell I could. There's no way, no way at all, I would have left that cute ass behind." I smirk playfully, desperately trying to lighten the mood.

She squawks indignantly and swats my arm.

"Shego!"

"What?" I ask innocently. She huffs at me, but she's grinning.

"Guess you couldn't help yourself," she says airily, waving a hand dismissingly in the air. "After all, I am a unique specimen."

I snort in amusement, wishing I had the energy to wrap my arms around her and pull her closer and teach her a thing or two. Instead, I make due with leaning in and nuzzling her nose with my own.

"Unique indeed. How many people can say they have a hot, world saving, redheaded hero in their arms?"

I grin at the blush that spreads across her cheeks.

"W-what would that make you?" she stutters out. My grin turns even more devious.

"Why, I'm the sexiest damn thing on two legs," I say confidently. "Grovel before my presence," I add with a seductive purr.

Now her face matches her hair. Score for me!

"Shego! You're so…! So…!"

"Damn sexy," I finish for her. "Jeeze Princess, didn't realize you were interested."

She covers her face with one hand and shoves me backwards into the wheelchair with the other. From her neck to her ears is a dark red flush. I can't hold it in and burst out laughing. She glares at me, trying to come up with a retort, but she only manages to grumble and mumble incoherently. This only makes me laugh harder.

Wade comes back into the room with a smile, Ron following him with a large pout.

"Glad that you two seem to be lively," Wade says cheerfully. He glances at me, and I wink discreetly at him. His grin spreads. "What have you ladies been talking about?"

"Nothing… just that Kimmie finds me sexy."

"I do not!" explodes Kim. She grabs a nearby pillow and hurls it at me. It smacks me square in the face, my arms too weak to move and block it.

Wade laughs and Ron is grudgingly supporting a grin. I smile at all of them in turn, though I'm half tempted to roll my eyes at Ron.

"Honestly, I'm just glad we could save this." Sounds kinda stupid, but I did have a double meaning in that.

All of our eyes turn to Ron. He looks away a moment. When he faces us again, he bows his head sheepishly.

"Yeah… Sorry guys. I just… It's a lot to take in, ya know?" His face suddenly splits into a wide grin. "Especially you and KP being an item!" he exclaims wildly while everyone's jaws hit the ground. "Score for the Ronfactor!" He gives me and Kimmie his version of the puppy dog pout. "You gonna kiss again? Pwetty pweeeeaaaaze?"

Wade hoots with laughter, falling over and practically rolling around on the floor. Kimmie looks like she's about to faint from embarrassment. I sigh and manage to slap a hand over my face.

"Wade, kill him for me?" I ask.

-------Shego's Room--------

I groan, rolling onto my back and slinging an arm over my eyes. Sunlight is streaming through the window, a random bird flying by singing. My clock's face is glowing with the green numbers four twenty three.

"I'm freakin' booooooorrrrred," I moan. I flop back onto my stomach, moodily staring at my desk. The others are out on a mission, Hego is at work, Mego is on a date, and the Wegos are out at the park, probably terrorizing some soul by playing their version of "pop goes the weasel".

I had been doomed to be excluded from all missions until I was a hundred percent. Which sucked because that meant I had to wait for my plasma to fully recharge again.

I've only ever done that once before. It was… when Junior died. After my enraged attack on GJ, I found my way to some hidey hole and was trapped there for nearly a month. I had been forced to stay there until my powers were a hundred percent then because any less would have surely gotten me killed. You don't exactly attack an organization like GJ and not have a major death threat hanging over your head afterwards.

I sigh again.

I don't even feel like training. I love training. The work out gives me a rush. But I don't even feel like doing that.

"Be honest Shego. You just want to cuddle with a certain redhead," I grumble to myself.

"Hello! Anyone home?" calls a voice.

Uh oh. Gotta get out of here before…

"Ally dear!" rings a voice from the doorway. I groan, rolling away from the door.

"What do you want Mom?"

WHAP!

I rub the sore spot on my head and turn to glare at my mother hovering over me.

WHACK!

"Ow, dang it!" I scurry away to the far side of the bed. "What was that for?!"

"Don't be disrespectful Ally." She gives me an admonishing stare. I look away and grumble to myself under my breath.

BAM!

I find myself staring up at the ceiling, my feet sticking up in the air. I blink a few times then quickly roll and retreat to the wall opposite of the door.

"Do you have to keep hitting me?!" I ask, rubbing my throbbing head.

"If you keep being disrespectful, yes."

I glower at her, and she raises a threatening hand. I quickly drop the look.

"Did you need me for something?" I ask through clenched teeth. Parents can be so damned annoying.

"Since you've been stuck up here in your room for the past week, I thought we could all go on vacation to the cabin."

I cock my head to the side. Cabin? I tap my chin thoughtfully. We have a cabin? Since when?

A memory flashes across my mind.

Oh.

"The cabin?" I ask aloud. "Why are we going there?"

She smiles, flicking her long dark braid over her shoulder.

"I thought you'd like a change of scenery. That, and the twins have been pestering people at the park again." She rolls her eyes.

I smirk. I knew I hit the nail on the head.

I frown suddenly.

"Is it going to be just us?" I ask without thinking. I wasn't too keen on spending a long vacation without my Kimmie.

Mom, a.k.a., Amelia Go, is a very well publicized lawyer. I sigh mentally. Damn woman has even been offered to be a co-owner of the firm she works at. I purposefully forget the name, just so she can never goad me into visiting. She's bad enough to deal with at home. I can only imagine her at work.

Pops, a.k.a., ex mayor and current "professional slacker", is usually hopping here and there across the world for a day whenever it suits his fancy. Love the old codger, but it's annoying when he's off adventuring and leaving me to Mom's wrath. Not exactly fair. Old man should take me along with him.

I come back to reality again to see Mom staring down at me. She hadn't left yet? Oh wait, I asked her a question. Right…

"Was there someone special you had in mind?" She lifts a hinting eyebrow.

I blush and cough into my hand. Stupid Mom. Her goal in life is to make my life a living hell.

"Er… no, I just… um…"

She breaks into a wide grin, and I slink down against the wall behind me. It's never good when she grins like that.

"Soooooo… Who's the lucky guy?"

Aw hell…

"Uh, err, n-no one. I just, uh…"

"Oh, stop being so bashful. Who's the lucky guy?" Her grin is predatory as she takes a couple steps closer. I almost embarrass myself with a whimper.

"R-really, there's no guy," I stutter out. Which is true. Maybe she won't press me if she can tell I'm not lying.

Her eyes narrow, and her grin almost grows lecherous.

Dear non-existing God, save me!

"Not a guy, huh?" She slinks closer, and damn me, I'm trembling slightly! "Then who, shall I ask, is the 'privileged one' that has caught my daughters eye?"

"I, um, I, see, uh, there's, uh…"

"Ally dear," she practically purrs.

I'm gonna die.

"Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the… FLOOOOOOR!"

Both of us nearly jump out of our skins as my kimmunicator goes off, filling the room with its loud music. My mother scowls in irritation at the interruption as I mentally blubber praises to the person on the other end of the comm.

"H-hello?" I ask, the screen lighting up with Kim's face. I instantly grin. "Hey Kimmie."

Her eyes glitter, her cheeks are flush, and she has a couple smudges of dirt on her face. Her grin is earsplitting as she brushes an errant strand of her tousled hair out of her eyes.

"Hi Shego!" she cheerfully replies. I can't help but chuckle.

"You look like you had fun. What'd you do?"

Kim's grin, if possible, got bigger.

"You should have seen it Shego!" she gushes, hand gesturing wildly. "There was this HUGE pandaroo! It was like… HUGE! It was walking around downtown, and we had to stop it. OMG! You should have seen Ron!" She bursts out laughing, making me chuckle again.

"What'd he do? Did he trip on his own feet again?"

"Worse!" she says. I hear Ron protest loudly behind her, but he doesn't come into sight. Kim continues her story. "His, his…" She's interrupted by a fit of giggles. She catches her breath and tries to continue. "He tried to wrap the grappling hook's wire round its legs, to stop it, but somehow his pants got stuck on the end and went flying off. Then," she continues, her laughter making her shake. "After the line got taunt, Ron was yanked off his feet and right into somebody's birthday cake. He's covered from head to foot!"

She flashes the Kimmunicator at a very white, blue, and yellow frosted Ron. Rufus is on the boy's shoulder, eagerly lapping up what frosting he can before Ron can wipe it off with the towel in his hand.

"This so isn't cool KP!" whines Ron. The Kimmunicator shakes with Kim's laughter.

"Are you kidding? That was priceless!" Kim has to stop talking to laugh again. I can't help but join in her laughter. She's right, it's priceless!

"You really are a buffoon!" I say, gasping for breath. He pouts at us, Wade grinning madly as he tries to help Ron clean off.

"Anyway," says a still chuckling Kim. She turns the screen back to herself. "How you holding up?"

I smile warmly. I can't resist it. It just… I don't know. I feel like I could glow when she's around.

… Wait a sec, I already glow. Err… Hmph! Never mind! I just can't help but smile when she's around. Ugh, I need to quit trying to explain these things…

"I'm surviving, if you consider being bored out of your mind all right."

She clicks her tongue at me with a grin.

"It can't be that bad."

I give her a mock glare.

"Are you kidding?! Can you imagine being stuck in a house with Hego, Mego, and the Wegos? Twenty four seven? Seven whole days in-a-row?"

Kim's eyes get really big, and she nervously taps her chin.

"Um… you win?"

I huff.

"Of course."

I grin when she laughs again.

"Anyway, I called to let you know we're okay and the mission went well. Also, off the mission saving record, what you up to this weekend?"

I grimace.

"Mom just dumped a family vacation on me. We're headed out to the family cabin."

Kim's face falls slightly.

"Oh."

My Kimmunicator is ripped out of my hands before I can even muster a response.

"Hi Kim," my Mom says warmly. My jaw drops in horror.

"Mooooom!" I whine just loud enough that Mom can hear me but Kim can't.

She kicks me in the head and sends me flying across the room without even breaking eye contact with Kim.

"Hi Mrs. Go," answers Kim, her confusion obvious in her voice.

I'm positioned upside down against my dresser, butt up in the air, feet touching the ground in front of me.

"I was just telling Ally that we're going on a family vacation to the cabin. I thought that since her brothers might drive her out of her mind if left alone, would you like to come and keep her company?"

I'm so stunned I don't even move to right myself. Did she just ask Kim what I thought she did?! Damnable woman! Now I can't decide whether to kick her or hug her.

"Um, are you sure that would be okay? I mean, I don't want to impose…"

I roll my eyes. Come on Kimmie, don't be so silly. You know you wanna go.

I grin to myself. … Still upside down.

"No, I insist! I know my daughter would love the company, and another face would be a nice change, especially another girl!"

I roll my eyes at my mom. I blink when she holds up a threatening hand out of Kim's sight.

Does she have all seeing eyes or something?! Jeeze!

I huff to myself and finally roll into a sitting position, rubbing my sore neck.

"Great! You can come over after you finish packing! Talk with you later sweetie."

She pushes the button to cut the connection. I gawk at her.

"Mommy! Why'd you do that?!" I ask, looking sadly at the black screen as she hands it back.

She smirks down at me, hands crossed over her ample bosom. For several seconds I don't even notice, too wrapped up in scowling at my reflection in the black screen. When I finally realize she's still standing in front of me, I look up.

I almost drop the Kimmunicator. The woman is smirking devilishly, and I swear she's even sporting the horns and pointy tail.

"Soooo…" she says, positively enjoying my panicked look. "You have feelings for sweet lil Kimmie? Eh?"

"Uh…" I respond stupidly. Her smirk only grows as she leans closer.

"Does she know about these feelings?" she asks sweetly.

A shiver runs down my spine, but I can't hide the blush that spreads across my cheeks.

"Uh…" I answer again, still at a complete loss for words.

Danger! Danger! Danger! Escape! Hurry!

"Are you dating little Kimmie?" she asks, her voice almost a purr again.

My "uh" is followed by a deeper blush.

"My, my, my…" tuts my Mom. "We have a few things to discuss, don't we? After all, you've been keeping secrets again, haven't you?"

My stomach plummets.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

(Across Town)

Kim pauses in her packing, cocking her head to the side.

"Did I just hear…?" Kim shakes her head ruefully. "Nah. Couldn't be."

**A/N: **LOL! I had SOOOOO much fun writing this chapter! Even more fun rereading it! Lordy-loo! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Hahahaha! Had to have a comic relief after such a serious moment, so here you go!

Lol, PS, if I missed any spelling mistakes or something, sorry, I was laughing so often I pry missed them. And it's like… kinda late lol. And, I don't own that whole "let the bodies hit the floor" song thingy. Just thought it fit too well right there lol so I added it.


	9. Intruder Alert!

The door opens and Kim takes a step back in shock.

"What happened to you?!" she exclaims, looking me up and down. I sigh tiredly, not even contemplating explaining.

"Nothing," I answer, shooting a glare over my shoulder at the sound of my mother's singing in the kitchen. I shake my head and turn to smile at Kimmie. "You gonna come in or stand there and catch flies in your open mouth?"

She blushes and snaps her mouth closed, quickly hiking her bag higher on her shoulder and stepping into the house. I grin as she passes, the scent of her perfume filling my nose. This is the only blessing of Mom's attack today.

Kimmie pauses in the living room, looking around warily.

"Um…"

I chuckle.

"You can set your bag in the pile over there," I say, pointing to the cluster of bags near the entrance. She nods and drops her bag onto the pile. She looks at me expectantly. I grin. "Dinner wont be for another hour or so, so lets go sit in my room until it's done."

She just nods and follows me as I make my way upstairs. As we enter my room, she lifts an eyebrow at the tossed around items lying sporadically around the room.

"Should I ask?" she says, pointing at the mess. I grimace.

"No."

She laughs and clears a place on my bed to sit down. I shut the door and pick up my chair and put it right side up before taking a seat in it. I rest my forearms on the back, watching as Kim glances around the room. She looks back at me and giggles.

"Seeing as your brothers don't dare enter your room, I'm highly curious who did this."

I huff.

"Don't worry about it."

"Aww, come on. Tell me? Please?"

I panic as she starts pulling out her puppy dog pout.

"It's nothing! Just had a tussle with my mom!"

… Way to go Shego. Just spill the beans.

"You fought with your mom?" echoes Kimmie, eyes wide.

I grimace again.

"She's so nosy. She decided I was keeping secrets and I had to be punished." I find my bottom lip nearly sticking out far enough to be considered a pout. I look away quickly, turning it into a frown. "Anyway, you ready for our trip?"

Kim stares at me a moment longer before answering.

"Guess so. I just threw everything together," she admits, looking sheepishly at her hands.

I laugh.

"Excited a little?" I smirk, cocking my head to the side. Kim blushes and grabs my pillow to smash it over my head. "Guess so."

She huffs and smacks me again with the pillow before flopping down onto her back on my bed. I watch her as she stares at the ceiling in silence. She finally kicks her feet around and rolls onto her side so she isn't facing me.

I frown. Now I didn't have a good view of anything. Is she avoiding me?

I stand up and walk around the chair. After debating about it for a few seconds, I jump into the air and land in a sitting position on the bed next to Kim. She yelps and rolls over to see what I'd done. I grin at her startled expression.

"What's up?" I ask, resting my elbows on my knees.

She shoots me a brief glare before falling onto her back again.

"Shego…" she says softly. I lean closer, waiting for her to say something more.

She doesn't say anything.

My face scrunches up in confusion and I decide I'm not satisfied with just my name. I lean closer so I can see her face better.

"What's on your mind Princess?"

She blushes, and I find the action pleasing, if unexpected.

"Shego… will you…" Her face scrunches up, like she can't decide if she wants to say anything or not.

"Will I?" I ask, hoping to get a response. She covers her face behind her hands, her voice muffled when she answers.

"Will you… tell me about your past? The one I don't know? The one… where I died?"

I stiffen. I had expected her to ask, but I had been hoping it wouldn't be so soon. Granted, it had been a week since our last discussion, but a week didn't seem like enough time to prepare myself for such a daunting task.

She removes her hands and looks at me. I'm ashamed at myself when I look away.

Having asked me about my past had once again brought everything to the surface. It's hard to look into a face I'd seen loose it's vibrancy, it's life, right before my very eyes. It's hard to separate the two, sometimes. My Kim was different. No, that didn't sound right. The Kim of my past… she… Honestly, I don't know what she thought of me. She never told me. We never talked outside our battles. Even if she managed to feel something more for me then rivalry, she never would have acted upon it.

That Kim had already made her choices in life. In that life, she already knew who she was and where she was going. I was never part of the picture. In that life… I watched Kimmie grow up and make a life for herself all on her own. I watched from a distance. I was… nothing more then a watcher. I didn't really participate at all. I had nothing… to connect us with except our fights. Even that, I'd called off after… after the marriage.

"Shego?" Kim softly calls. I force myself to look at her, to take her in.

My Kimmie. Mine. Here, in this life, this time, this choice… Kim is mine.

I reach out gingerly and cup her face in my hand. Her brow creases as she gazes at me, the worry obvious in her green eyes. But I can't look away. I can't smile. I can't make it all better. I just… have too much on my mind, when my past comes up.

"Ally!" bellows my mother, the bedroom door banging open. Kim and I both jump, our heads snapping around to stare at the intruder. My mom smirks, her eyebrow lifting in amusement at my hand still cupped around Kim's face. I blush profusely and jerk my hand away. I opt to scowl at her. She frowns at the look. She takes three calm steps forward then whips out her foot, kicking me square in the jaw.

I fly off the bed and roll across the floor. My back crashes into my overturned laundry basket, bringing me to a halt.

"Mom!" I half growl half whine.

"Don't glare at me, young lady," she says, her head held high. I rub my sore jaw and continue glaring at her.

"Then don't go busting into my room without knocking!"

She huffs, fixing me with a dismissing gaze.

"I'm your mother. I can do whatever I want. Now, pick yourself up and go wash your hands and face. Dinner is ready."

She turns and walks out of my room, leaving the door wide open.

Kim watched the whole thing with wide eyes. After blinking a few times into the silence, she turns to find me flopped over my laundry basket. I groan, holding a hand to my head. I can already feel a headache coming on.

A giggle snatches my attention. I lift my head just enough that I can see Kim sitting on my bed… bent over in attempt to stifle her laughter. I frown at her.

"Are you laughing?" I demand.

She straightens up and tries to look innocent.

"Y-your mom, she seems nice." Her lips keep twitching at the corners, eyes dancing.

I growl at her.

"You are laughing!" I huff and sit up, a sock clinging to my shoulder from static. I shove my disheveled hair out of my face. "It's not funny! The woman's the devil herself!"

Kim can't hold it in any longer and bursts out laughing. My scowl deepens as her laughter grows until I'm pretty sure the whole household can hear it.

"Y-you sh-shoulda' seen your face!" she says breathlessly. She clutches her stomach, her eyes filling with tears. She falls over backwards on the bed and starts rolling around.

"It's not funny!" I growl. I stalk over to the bed and stand over her. She just continues hooting with laughter, her feet kicking the air. Does she have to look so cute doing that? "Stop laughing!"

Irritated, I climb onto the bed and force her hands above her head so she has too look at me. She's still giggling.

"Seriously, it's not funny!" I glare at her, but this only produces another peel of laughter from her. "Kimmie…" I say dangerously.

A throat clears in the doorway. My head whips up to see my mother standing in the doorway.

"Am I interrupting?" she asks coyly. I blush madly, pushing away from Kim, who is still laughing.

"Mom!"

She smirks, turning around and calling over her shoulder. "Hurry up you two, or it will get cold."

Kim's laughter is still going strong, and I irritably kick her off the bed. She falls with a yelp and a thud, but still continues laughing.

"C-c-can't… b-b-breeeaaathe," she gasps, unable to move from where she'd fallen.

"Hardy har har," I grumble, crossing my arms.

Still giggling, Kim shakily climbs to her feet. I watch with a lifted eyebrow as she sways where she stands. She tries to walk around the bed, but it looks more like a drunken stagger. I roll my eyes.

"Time to shut you up," I mutter. I jump off the bed and grab her before she can make it to the door.

"Wha-mmpff!"

She only struggles a moment, her laughter effectively cut off by my lips. I grin to myself.

Take that!

Two low whistles come from the door.

"Mom! Shego's Making out with Kim!" chime two voices in perfect synch.

Kim and I jerk back to find the Wego's standing in the door with two matching grins. I growl, lifting a burning green hand.

"You two are dead!" I bellow.

"You can't blame us!" they crow as they take off running down the hall. "Close your door next time!"

They slam their bedroom door in my face before I can catch them. I want to break down the door, but I'd rather not be punished like Hego was. I snarl at the door, grudgingly attempting to turn off my plasma.

"Just you wait," I growl lowly. "Just wait until you fall asleep."

"MOM!" scream two startled voices.

"Ally! Quit picking on your brothers!" my mother calls from the kitchen.

"I'm not picking on them!" I shout back. I grin darkly, talking only loud enough for them to hear. "I'm just promising them some splendid torture in the middle of the night…"

"MOOOOOM!" they wail, both obviously terrified.

"Alexandra!" Amelia shouts in a warning tone.

"I'm not doing anything!" I call back, making my way to my bedroom. "I'm going to wash my hands!"

I pause half way to my room and quickly tiptoe back to the Wego's door. I tap my nails across its surface, grinning madly.

"Don't forget, my pets… When you sleep, I shall come for you," I purr. Before they can start screaming, I dash to my room and drag Kimmie into the bathroom. I turn on the water just as the twins begin wailing for mom. I snicker and Kimmie looks at the door, to me, and back again.

"What did you do?" she murmurs as she watches Amelia walk quickly past my bedroom door.

"Oh, nothing," I say sweetly, scrubbing my hands with soap.

I finish drying my hands and see the Wegos glance at me then race past my door, both white faced and wide eyed. Amelia then comes into sight, sighing as she watches the boys race down the stairs and into the kitchen. She stops outside my door, fixing me with a tired glare.

"Do you really have to frighten them like that?" she asks, a hint of reprove in her voice.

"What?" I ask innocently, adding a confused shrug.

She sighs and rubs her forehead.

"Now they won't be able to sleep," she mumbles to herself. She looks up and glares at me again. "Ally…"

"_If_ I did anything, it was justly deserved," I answer with a 'I didn't do anything' smile.

Mom rolls her eyes.

"Just get down there for dinner."

I glance over my shoulder at Kimmie.

"Finished?" I ask. She nods mutely. I grin at my mother. "We're on our way."

Amelia nods and walks away. Kim gives me a slightly wary look when I face her. I grab her hand and yank her forward, placing a steaming kiss on her lips.

Before she has a chance to recover, I pull away and begin dragging her towards the kitchen.

"I'm starving!" I say cheerfully. "How about you?"

Boredom? Who said anything about being bored?!

-------

**A/N:** Hahaha, this story is just so fun to write! Next time, (gasp!) they're stuck out in the middle of no where! In a cabin! With all of Shego's brothers, her mom, and her absent minded father! What could possibly go wrong?

hehe hope you enjoyed this chpt! toodles!


	10. Fishing?

**A/N:** Um, okay, first off, in response to Ryuu. Amelia in no way would actually harm Shego. The idea behind this is that this is Amelia's way of slapping Shego on the wrist. Shego is a super hero… a very headstrong one… so, it takes a bit more oomph to get her point across. And, in the last two chapters, Shego is basically healed. The only reason they won't let her go save the day is because she needs to recharge her plasma. Hence, Kim finds it highly amusing that Shego is still in her mother's complete control. By no means would she laugh if Shego was actually getting harmed.

Err… I hope that explains it well enough. If it still doesn't make sense, review again and let me know, lol.

-----------

I roll over, the warmth of the blankets working wonderfully on keeping me in a sleepy daze. My arm stretches out, hoping to bury itself in more blankets. What it finds… is an odd mound.

Out of curiosity and confusion, I begin exploring the mound with my hand, my eyes still closed and my face buried in my pillow. An odd noise brings a little bit more of my consciousness to my body. Mounds aren't supposed to make noises, especially odd moaning noises.

Fully confused now, I groggily turn my head to examine this mound. I blink blurrily several times, my brain not registering what I'm staring at. Said mound moves, my fingers trailing across it and falling off to land on the bed.

I stare. Just stare. I blink slowly, and…

THUNK!

Fall right out of bed.

I skitter across the floor to the wall, staring at the bed as if it will come alive and devour me whole.

I did NOT just see what I thought I did! … Did I?

Very slowly, I crawl across the floor and peek over the edge of the bed. My eyes widen. I duck back into hiding quickly, heart hammering in my chest.

No, I couldn't have seen that. Really, I have to be wrong! There's no way…

I peek over the bed again. The figure on the bed shifts slightly, a lock of red hair spilling out over a T-shirt covered shoulder. I quickly glance down at myself.

Phew! Still fully clothed! Scared me there for a second! Okay, I'm not in hot water! Forgot we had to share a bed because Hego always gets the couch at the cabin.

I rub my eyes tiredly.

I really don't need scares like that so early in the morning.

"Shego…"

"I didn't do it!" I bellow, throwing open the door and racing out of the room.

Kim jerks upright, looking around sleepily.

"Huh? Wha-?"

I make it into the kitchen downstairs to find my mother mixing pancake batter. She lifts an eyebrow at me as I nervously make my way to the table.

"And all that shouting was…?" she asks.

I shake my head absently. Only now is it slowly becoming clear that Kim had called out to me in her sleep. … Hopefully, anyway. If not…

Kim comes trudging into the kitchen, still dressed in yesterdays clothes. I tense up as I watch her sleepily make her way to the table.

"Morning," she mumbles, reaching up to rub her eyes.

My mother looks back and forth between the two of us, but I ignore her as I watch Kim closely.

"Did you sleep well?" asks Amelia.

"Like a rock," mumbles Kim.

"And you Shego?"

I peel my eyes off of Kim to stare past my mother and into the living room.

"Eh," I shrug. Mentally, I'm praising whatever luck I have that Kim had been asleep and that she isn't snarling for my head on a platter. Running for my life in the morning from one enraged Kimmie is definitely ten times worse then waking up to a scare. Yes, I'll take the scare any day.

I rub my neck absently.

Breakfast is a quiet meal, thankfully absent of my siblings. As I start putting my plate in the sink to be washed, mom grabs her cup of coffee and turns to look at me.

"So, what do you and Kim have planned for today?"

"I was thinking of going fishing," I answer. Kim pauses in the middle of putting her utensils in the sink.

"Fishing?" she echoes.

"Yep, fishing! We're going to catch our dinner for tonight."

I smirk inwardly at the small frown on her face.

"Fishing…" she mumbles. I grin widely and grab her wrist and begin pulling her towards the bedroom.

"Come on! We have to hurry and get dressed!" We clamber up the stairs and into my room. I release her and shut the door. I start humming as I head towards my luggage to pull out some clothes.

Kim stares at me a while before she slowly turns to her own bag. She opens it up and stares at the contents.

I finish setting out my own clothes when I spot her still just sitting there. I chuckle, snapping her out of her trance.

"Have you ever gone fishing before Kimmie?"

"Um… no?"

I laugh.

"Well, throw on some clothes! I'll teach you."

"How about I just watch you fish?" she asks hopefully. I shake my head at her.

"No way. You have to catch your own." I grin at her. "It's not hard. You'll do fine."

"And if I don't catch anything?" she asks.

"Then we beg my mom to feed us whatever she's making for dinner," I answer. She looks less then pleased. I laugh. "Come on, it'll be fun." I pull my shirt over my head and toss it onto her head. I pull my clean shirt on and grin at Kim as she pulls my shirt off her head and frowns at me. "Get a move on girl! Or do I need to help you?"

I smirk at her, looking all too ready to help out. She blushes and whirls around and begins digging in her bag.

---------------

Kim stares at me in silence. She's eyeing the fishing pole warily. She looks up into my face with a small pout.

"Do I have to?"

I chuckle.

"Yep. Look, I even baited your hook and everything. All you have to do is cast it."

She glares at the fishing pole.

"I don't wanna."

I smirk and step closer, so we're only a few inches apart.

"Well too bad, cause you're gonna." My grin spreads as she huffs at me, and I wink at her playfully. "Come on, it's not that hard. You take the fishing pole like this," I demonstrate how to hold it and how to stand. "And you swing your arm forward and release the lever so the line will cast out." I show her, the hook and bait flying through the air and landing out in the lake a good couple hundred yards. "See? Piece of cake. I'll even let you leave it in there this time and make you cast it after this."

I hold the fishing pole out to her. She frowns at it but takes it from my hand.

"Now what," she mumbles with a cute pout.

"You wait until you get a bite."

"And I'd know that how?" she asks, frowning at the little red and white bobber dancing around in the water.

"The bobber will disappear. You might even feel a tug on your line. When that happens, wait for a second tug then jerk the pole back a bit to set the hook. After that, you just reel it in."

She glances at me doubtfully but obediently watches the bobber. I smile at her.

I still can't get over it. Everything I've ever wanted, everything I fought for... it's right here, right before my very eyes. My smile spreads a little bit further, my stomach filled with butterflies. Days like today… just priceless.

I grab a large rock and set it on the ground next to her. She glances down at it before looking at me.

"Wha-"

"To sit on," I reply. "You'll get tired pretty quickly if you stand there the whole time."

A small smile tugs on her lips.

"Thank you." She takes a seat, eyes turning back to her bobber. I smile at her one more time before turning to the tackle box to ready my own pole.

I pull out another hook and weight and tie them to the end of my line. I bite off the excess line then search for the bait. I reach for the bait.

"Shego! It moved!" cries Kim.

"Huh?" I look over to her to see her staring at the bobber with wide eyes. I follow her gaze and catch it as it disappears again into the water. "Hey! You've got a bite! Reel it in!"

"How?!" she asks shrilly, the end of her fishing rod beginning to dance as the fish pulls harder at the hook.

I jump quickly to my feet. I try to step forward but I catch my foot on the tackle box. I yelp and stumble a few feet before catching my balance. I make it to her side to find her still struggling blindly with the pole. I reach out and steady the pole. I move so I can reach around her and guide her hand to the reel handle.

"Here, there's the reel. Just turn it like so…" I guide her hand, the line finally coming in, water dripping from it.

"Is it coming?! Did we get it?!" she asks excitedly. I grin.

"Just hang on. We still got a ways to bring him in. There, here he comes. He's still on there, see?"

She squeals in excitement as the fish jumps out of the water and falls back in.

We reel him all the way to the shore, where he flip-flops about all over the place.

"I got one! I got one!" she cheers.

"Grab him, quick!" I say excitedly.

Kim reels him in a bit further then lifts the pole up and away so she can attempt to grab the fish. She grabs at him several times before she finally manages to snag him. Her face immediately falls.

"EWWW!" she cries, dropping the fish. "It's all slimy!"

I burst out laughing. I move around her and bend down to catch the fish. Once I have him in my hand, I follow the line to find the hook. I whistle.

"He swallowed the hook. Have to cut the line."

She watches intently as I pull out a pocket knife and cut the line.

"Now what?" she asks, following me as I retrieve a rope.

"You slide this into his mouth and out his gills. Then, you just time him up and let him hang out in the shallow water until we're done."

I drop the fish into a circle of rocks in the water and tie the loose end of the rope to a small bush nearby. I straighten to find Kim giving me a funny look.

"Fish are gross."

I laugh.

"Well, if you catch another one, I'll take it off the line and tie it to the other for you, okay?"

She hesitates. She glances at the fish.

"Okay."

I grin.

"Okay then! Let's get you ready for another cast!"

I ready her hook and everything. She moves to the waters edge and tries to mimic my stance from before. She rears back and casts. … The hook lands six feet from the shore.

I smother a giggle and step forward to the frowning redhead.

"You almost had it. Just release it a bit earlier. Try again."

She reels it in and tries again. It goes only a little further.

"Stupid pole," she grumbles. I chuckle.

"Relax, you'll get the hang of it. Let me bait my hook and I'll show you how to do it again."

I trot back to my own pole, bending down to pick it up. I feel a tug on my belt.

"It's stuck," mumbles Kim. She plants her feet and throws her weight forward.

"Wha- AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I'm soaring through the air.

SPLASH!

I come sputtering to the surface to see Kim gaping at me. I glare at her, and she quickly attempts to hide the fishing pole behind her back.

I stand up in the shallow water, and she edges away from me with a nervous laugh.

"Eh-heh, sorry… I uh… It got, uh… stuck?"

I slosh through the water. I keep her pinned under my gaze as I tromp up the shore and stand right in front of her. Without saying a word, I scoop her up in my arms and throw her into the lake. She shrieks, a loud splash cutting her off.

Her head bursts out of the water as she gasps for air.

"What'd you do that for?!" she demands. She slaps the water and splashes me. I lift an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" I jump into the water, and she yelps, trying to duck away from the spray of water I send up.

She huffs at me, wet hair falling into her eyes.

"I said I was sorry!"

"And then you splashed me," I reply. I reach out and push her under the water. She comes bouncing back to the surface

"Hey!" She jumps up and pushes down on my shoulders. I go under. I grab her foot and kick away.

When we both surface, it's time for war.

With loud battle cries, we charge forward. And so ensues a large water fight.

When we finally pause to catch our breath, the sun is high overhead. Both of us are still in the water, watching each other warily.

"Hey Kimmie, it's said that if you tickle a fish's belly it practically paralyzes it."

"Tickle a fish?" She looks at me skeptically.

"Yep, so you can catch it before it swims away." I move closer to her.

"Yeah right," she says. She stands up. Her clothes cling to her as water runs off her. I stand up as well. I smirk, stepping closer to her.

"Want to test the theory?" I ask. She watches me warily.

"How would you do that?" she asks.

I lean closer. I take my finger and begin tracing circles on her stomach. She instantly freezes, eyes wide.

"You look a mite paralyzed," I say lowly. She tenses, as if trying to move, but she doesn't make it anywhere. I lean even closer, nuzzling her ear. "Caught you…" I murmur.

Her legs give out and she collapses into the water. When she pops to the surface, I bend down and grin at her.

"See?" I say. "Looks like it works."

With a battle cry, she tackles me. Before I can try and get to my feet again, a pair of lips press roughly to my own. I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer, the sunlight shimmering in dancing rays of light cutting through the water overhead.

I must be in heaven.

**A/N: **Hehe, soooo… What do you think?


	11. V day Chaos

**A/N: **Okay! This is the new chpt 11! I moved the other one because I was kindly told it didn't quite fit where it was. I still recommend reading it, because it does pertain to this story and is just a sidetrack and a different perspective. Take it as insite on things Shego is oblivious of at current time. I might add to it if I deem things need a second perspective. Eh, that is, if I can pull it off ;P lol

I hope this chapter suits better then the last, seeing as the POV now remains fully with Shego. Also, most of you have already read the other chpt, so you kinda get the small gap in time between this chapter and the last.

Anywho! Sorry its a few days late. On with the reading! -salutes-

* * *

I clutch my small gift behind my back, watching uneasily as the mist slowly recedes from the suns glare. Kim had run back inside for some reason, claiming she forgot something.

After I'd picked her gift last night, I'd spent the rest of my time trying to figure out the best time to give it to her. During breakfast, I'd been constantly arguing with myself over just the right way to present it to her. And now, I can't decide if my gift will be worthy enough.

Crap-tastic. I hate holidays. Especially the lovey dovey one that have you second guessing yourself until the very moment they open their gift and their eyes light up… if they light up…

Dang it! I'm doing it again!

I irritably stuff the small package into my backpack. There! Now the stupid thing won't bother me so much! Throwing my hair out of my face, I turn to find Kim barreling out the door.

"Ready!" She grabs my arm as she passes me and begins dragging me away down the dirt road.

"Hey! Whoa! Slow down speedy! Are we late for something?"

Giggling, she glances over her shoulder at me. "Nope! I just can't wait to climb that cliff!"

I chuckle. "Wow, that excited are we? You do realize that climbing that thing will probably take most of the afternoon, right? We might be late for dinner."

"That's why we brought snacks! And I grabbed this!" She pulls out a rolled up blanket. "In case we get cold!"

I burst out laughing at her face splitting grin and hyper bouncing up and down. Her energy is still brimming by the time we reach the bottom of said cliff we are to climb. She grins up at it, hands on her hips.

"This is going to be so much fun!"

Scratching my head, I follow her gaze up the rocky wall with a small frown. "Don't we get enough of this on missions? I mean, don't you wanna do something else instead? Something implying being lazy and doing nothing all day?"

She laughs and throws her arms around my neck. "Aww come on! We did that yesterday! Today we need some excitement!"

"Yesterday consisted of a massive water fight that left us both breathless," I retort with a smirk.

Her cheeks turn pink as she slugs me in the arm. "Oh hush! That was all your fault anyway!"

"My fault?!" I exclaim, stepping back in feigned shock. "I believe you were the one to throw me into the lake first." I cross my arms over my chest and lift an eyebrow.

"Well, you shouldn't have been standing there."

"Oh, now you're gonna get it!" I roll up my imaginary sleeves. She yelps and starts clambering up the cliff face. "Oh no you don't! Get back here!"

Giving chase, I begin scaling the rocky wall as well. She keeps ahead of me quite well, laughing the entire way. I send up a few threats here and there while still giving chase. I don't know how long it takes, but before I know it, we're crawling over the last ledge and slumping to the ground in exhaustion. Breathing raggedly, I allow a moment of respite from the chase, considering we both need to catch our breath.

I glance up at the afternoon sun, amazed we'd used the entire morning without realizing it. I flop onto my stomach and peer over at Kimmie, who's flat on her back with her chest heaving up and down. As if she can feel my eyes on her, her head rolls to the side so she can look at me. Her smile is dazzling.

"That was fun."

I roll my eyes. "You're the only person I know who would call that fun."

"You didn't have fun?" She pouts at me.

"Err…" I grab a nearby pebble and manage to weakly toss it at her. "Shut up. Next time we play a game, I'm ruling out the mountain as an obstacle."

She giggles. We smile at each other for a few moments.

She sighs then rolls onto her stomach and begins dragging herself closer to me. She flops back onto the ground with her head falling right next to mine. She reaches out and begins playing with my hair. "Happy Valentines Day." She scoots closer and kisses me on the nose.

Blushing considerably, I reach out and take her hand in mine. "Happy Valentines Day," I murmur.

She smiles impishly and pulls something out of the rolled up blanket. She sets a small package wrapped in red paper in front of me. Breath catching in my throat, I blink back tears. I gingerly take the small thing and begin unwrapping it.

"Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the… FLOOOOOOR!"

Kim and I both jump. I growl as I dig in my pocket for my communicator.

BOOOOOM!

The ground shakes violently. Rocks bounce around as a large cloud mushrooms up from the forest below. Kim and I are instantly on our feet and staring over the cliff's edge into the forest below.

"Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the… FLOOOOOOR!"

I slap my forehead, having forgot about my call. I pull out the device and hit the button. Wade's panicked face pops up on the small screen.

"Shego! Run! It's Drakken!" he shouts quickly. I hear Ron yelp in the background. Before the dark skinned boy can say more, the connection is cut.

"Shit." I slap the device onto my wrist and begin unzipping the bottom portion of my backpack. Kim unrolls the blanket and pulls a device out of her pocket. She hit's a button on the device, causing it to flare out into a box filled with lightweight metal poles. She begins constructing a glider. As soon as the frame is set up, she pulls the blanket over it and seals it into place with a special gel Wade had given us.

While she's doing that, I finish pulling off the bottom of my backpack. I slip four objects into my pockets and attach one to my belt. I then pull out a small pair of shoes. Kicking off my hiking boots, I slip into the shoes. After I'm finished with that, I pull out one last object, a small little box with five pills in it. I stare at the box for several seconds before popping one into my mouth with a wince.

Noticing the action, Kim quirks an eyebrow at me with a frown. "What are those?"

"Not illegal drugs," I tease. I begin packing my boots into my backpack. Still alert to her gaze on my back, I grunt and explain. "They were given to me by Wade. They're just an energy booster of sorts. It boosts my plasma energy just a bit. I only take them in emergencies."

Her frown deepens. "And this is an emergency?"

Finished stuffing my boots into my bag, I straighten up and look her in the eye. "When Wade is that panicked, it's an emergency."

Nodding with understanding, she hefts the glider into the air. "Ready?"

I move under the glider and grip the rail next to her with a smirk. "Aren't I always?"

Before she can retort, I take off running. We both run straight off the cliff and find ourselves soaring through the air.

"We aren't running, right?" she asks loudly to be heard. I snort.

"Run? I don't run from fights, not anymore."

She gives me a sidelong glance at the last part of my answer, but she doesn't comment on it. Instead, we both focus on the column of smoke rising from the forest.

"Do you think Drakken knew where we were at?" she hollers.

"No," I shout back. "I think the fight got too out of control and they somehow managed to wind up here."

"How can you tell?"

"He wouldn't have bothered with Wade and Ron."

She nods absently.

Damn the luck. Interrupted on my vacation! Just for that, Drakken's earned himself an extra thrashing. Especially if he brought those darn pesky BeBes. Sighing to myself, I assist Kimmie on guiding the glider in a tight spiral towards the ground.

"On the count of three!" I shout. Kim glances at me. I point to the trees below. "They're our pillow!"

She winces at the thought of the scratches and bruises that are to come from such a venture. She slowly nods her head, shooting a dark glare at the trees. I laugh to myself before marking my target.

"One!" I begin counting. Out of the corner of my eye I can see her tensing for the fall. "Two!" Carefully steering the glider, I get it as lined up as best as I can to one of the taller and more fuller looking trees. "THREE!"

Instantly we both let go of the glider. Freefalling to the tree, we crash into it's needle covered limbs. Branches and needles slap at me as I fall. I spread myself out in hopes of catching myself on a sturdy limb. The loud sound of breaking branches and hiss of the pine needles brushing our skin fills the air. Three fourths of the way down the tree, I finally halt my descent, nearly jerking my arm out of my socket in the process.

Glancing around quickly for Kim, I spot her several feet above me hanging over a branch on her stomach. She groans, slowly pushing herself up so she can stand on a lower branch. She rubs her sore stomach.

"Next time, lets find a clearing."

I grimace and rub my throbbing shoulder. "I agree." Another explosion rocks the ground. "Come on, we need to hurry."

We both climb down the tree. As soon as our feet hit the ground, we take off running towards the source of the last explosion.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

WHAM!

Kim and I stare in horror as Wade's body crumbles to the ground after hitting a tree at full impact. Dashing to his side, we assist him in sitting up as he coughs up a little blood.

"Damn… it…" he hisses. "I told you to run."

"I don't run anymore." I stare back at him when his eyes lift to mine. He sighs.

"Damn you. You're too heroy now… Ain't got the brains to run when you're supposed to."

I smirk at him and help him to his feet. "As if you're one to talk."

He chuckles dryly. Wiping away the blood from his mouth, he squares his shoulders and prepares to counter attack.

"Ron's doing alright, but whoever Drakken's hired help is, she's damn good."

"She?" I ask. I snort. "He seems to like female bodyguards."

Wade grins. "I can't blame him."

I roll my eyes. "Come on play'a, we have a villain to stop."

Exchanging glances, all three of us take off running. We split up, veering off into three different directions. The sounds of battle get louder the further we go. Kim and I take up flanking positions while Wade bursts out into a clearing just in time to catch Ron before the blond smashes into a rock.

"Damn she's good," mutters the blond. He shakily gets back to his feet. "I'm starting to wonder if even my monkey mojo will do any good."

"Hey now," Wade pats him on the back. "Don't give up! We're heroes. The good guys have to win!"

"We didn't in your time," blurts Ron. He slaps his hand over his mouth as Wade's face darkens. "Man! I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking!"

Instead of getting the dark skinned boy to wither, Wade puffs up his chest and looks squarely at the approaching woman. He spares Ron a reassuring glance. "Trust me Ron, if there's anything more to keep this hero from losing, it's knowing full well what the consequences are if I do."

The woman stops to look them over with a smirk.

"You have a lot to say for someone who's losing." The woman is wearing a Noh mask, effectively hiding her face. The mask is of a demon or devil. It's white with a gaping red mouth and golden fangs. A yellow white mane surrounds it as well as gives it a mustache. It's gold eyes flicker eerily in the sunlight, its two horns protruding from its head. A black catsuit with a white hakama cover her voluptuous body. Last but not least, she has on a white hood and cowl, but no cape of any sort.

"I'm just getting started," remarks Wade, rolling his shoulders.

The woman flicks a solid white samurai looking sword into a ready position. It is like no sword I've ever seen. Though samurai in shape, it has odd markings and blemishes that a real sword wouldn't. It also is one whole piece with no bindings and without any seeming mental. It's ivory color reminds me oddly of bone…

Before I can contemplate it further, she and Wade are charging each other. He easily ducks her blade, rising to send a fist up towards her chin. She flips away and dashes forward with her sword point aimed for his gut. He dodges to the left. Before he can counter attack, the woman whips the sword around for his neck. He leans back and watches as the sword nearly grazes his nose. Using the momentum to his advantage, he backhand springs and lands in a crouch. He rockets himself forward and lands a solid punch to the woman's gut. She grunts and staggers back.

"You're fighting style… I've not seen it's like," she comments coolly.

Wade watches her carefully as they circle each other. "My style is a mix of my own and someone else's, someone you'll have never met."

The woman chuckles, voice throaty and seductive. "Oh really? Why is that?"

"He doesn't have a reason to fight anymore," he replies.

I internally wince. Yes, the man he's talking about will never have a reason to fight now. We'd changed everything on him.

"Oh? And why is his reason to fight suddenly diminished?" continues the woman.

"As Shego would put it, the dead side of forever stole it."  
Without another word, both of them strike simultaneously.

As the battle continues, with Kim, Ron and I all on the edge of our seats in case he needs help, I allow part of my mind to wander back to the man Wade spoke of.

I shake my head.

The man had been a living legend in our day. He had been a nobody, someone with nothing interesting or spectacular about him. He was a small time thief just out to make it through one day to the next. And then all hell broke loose. Suddenly, his petty crimes were magnified by tenfold and he became as hunted as the rest. His family was taken from him as well. Bent on revenge, he went into hiding and began training himself. After years of studious precise work, he created his own technique.

After that, his thieving expanded. He suddenly went after high officials and priceless mechanical and medical breakthroughs. Anyone who deemed themselves the law was his target. He was one of the toughest and dangerous criminals of our time. His fame was astounding, even managing to slowly outclass Wade's and my own work until I stormed GJ.

Having little physical prowess of his own at the time, Wade relentlessly pursued the man to train him. Finally, he broke down. Wade was his first and only student.

I don't know his real name. No one did. But everyone knew his assumed name. He was called, Daemon Kage. There was actually a time I considered sparing with him to train myself. Unfortunately, I never got the chance.

I draw my attention back to the fight. Wade is holding his own, and the woman seems to be disturbed by this and is upping her speed and tactics. Face a mask of concentration, Wade keeps pace with her.

"SHEGO!" bellows Drakken, drawing my attention. "I've found you!" With a cackle he swivels some device towards my hiding place.

Shit.

I dive to the side as a beam of energy slices through the tree I'd been hiding behind. I roll to a stop and rise into a standing position.

Drakken smirks darkly, his beady eyes barely concealing the man's slipping sanity. "Now it's time I finally ruin you."

My eye twitches. I've heard that line before.

I throw my head back and laugh. It causes Wade and the woman to momentarily pause in their fight and Drakken, Kimmie, and Ron to edge away slightly. As my laughter slowly dies out, I fix my gaze on Drakken. He frowns, shifting uncomfortably.

"Go ahead…" I challenge him. "Go ahead and try and ruin me…" I don't realize it, but my own eyes fill with my loosened hold on insanity. He shrinks a little under my nearly snarling grin. "Just try it."

My hands ignite with nearly blinding green plasma as I step forward…


	12. Insanity's Doorstep

I don't see Drakken. He's standing right in front of me, but it's not him that I see. I see Junior's executioner. I see failure. I see insanity's welcoming arms.

A shadow leaps between Drakken and me. Furious, I sweep my arm in an arch, green flames licking out and slamming said shadow out of the way and into a tree. No longer hindered, I step towards Drakken.

"S-stay back!" he stutters. He fires something at me, but the beam is incinerated by my green plasma before it can even touch me.

"You want blood…" I flex my hands, my snarling smile growing. "I'll give you blood… I'll stain the ground with it… Your blood will paint the surroundings…" The shrill and frightened screams of Junior fill my mind as she runs towards me in slow motion. My eye twitches as I watch her slowly get ripped apart by bullets.

I don't notice Kim and Wade calling for me frantically. I can't hear them. I hear a voice from my past, a dead future… I hear Will Du.

"Shego, at long last, you have been caught." Will Du smirked down at me. He didn't even take notice of the child lying in the pool of blood on the floor. He pointed a gun to my head. "I promised I'd ruin you. I promised to run you into the ground and steal whatever useless hope you carried in thinking you would escape us. We're justice, and in the name of justice, I, Agent Will Du, execute you."

Furry… endless bleeding anger… pain… It filled me in a way I'd never experienced before. I was blinded by it. Swallowing me whole, it consumed my every breath, my every thought. I broke a barrier in my own mind I hadn't even known existed. It was like releasing a floodgate… a floodgate of limitless enraged fire.

It's filling me again, ensnaring me with nothing but thoughts of anger, blood, and revenge. It rejoices, green plasma licking up and down my body and lashing out at anything that gets too close.

"You desire blood so well," I continue my speech, stepping forward again. In my mind, it isn't Drakken cowering before me, it's Will.

I'd gotten up, after Du spouted his little farce about justice… I'd leapt to my feet and incinerated his entire combat team. He was the last one standing, the last one to cower in a corner in disbelief. I stalked towards him, like I stalk towards Drakken now.

"Such a desire for blood, from what is supposed to be a man of justice…" I'm talking more to myself then anyone else. Actually, it's more like a half insane rant.

Will had changed drastically over the years. He'd remained pure for a while, but eventually, he had to cave under the heavy influence of the rest of the agency. It twisted him in a manner that the only way to keep himself sane, he threw his humanity to the void and became one of the agents of death. His character was shifted so drastically, his wife divorced him and ran as far away as she could. She took his three children with her. That only served to send the man further into oblivion. If he seemed like ice before, now he was naught but a black hole.

"Blood of innocence covers your hands," I mutter, eyes locked unseeingly on Drakken. "Blood of sacrifice stains the clothes you wear, the bed you sleep upon…" I snarl, hand waving in the direction Junior had lain in the past, though her body is absent now. "You killed her!" I roar. Leaping high into the air, the green flames completely destroy all the branches above me and a small sapling that happens to be close-by.

"You are a criminal…" started Will, a small spark of defiance left in his eyes. "You are meant to be cleansed from the world."

"You murdered a child! A CHILD!" I bellow. My eyes are glowing eerily, hair dancing wildly on the wind roaring through the clearing. "Such a man of power," I mock. Will had twitched, as if a small part of him had managed to come back from the void.

"A child?" he asked, Drakken echoing his words in the present.

"A child." I growl. I wave my hand again. Against his will, Du's eyes followed and landed on Junior. He blinked several times, as if he couldn't comprehend what he was staring at. "Congratulations. Such a perfect example of justice. You stole the life from a child!"

Paling to a chalky white, Will's entire body crumbled into itself.

"A child?" he repeated. He was gasping for breath, eyes fixed in horror on Junior's bloody figure. "Justice?" he choked.

Hauling him into the air, I threw him at Junior.

Drakken has no idea what's going on, his terrified yelp only mirroring Will's own as he flies through the air as I repeat the motion in the present.

"Take a good look! Take a look at what justice has done!" I stalk towards Will, watching as he gagged over juniors body. "This is your justice," I growl.

"A child…" Will began retching.

I lift my hand, green flames practically alive and reaching for him.

Du sensed my presence and looked up. His eyes were filled with pain, confusion, and fear. "This isn't justice."

"No, that wasn't justice. But this is." Without saying anything further, I unleash my fire.

A shadow flashes across my line of vision, stealing my target and leaping to safety. I snarl, my head whipping around to find the culprit. The bodyguard has Drakken slung over her shoulder as she perches in one of the trees. She looks down at me warily.

"Give him back," I seethe.

"I think we're done for today," she answers. "You're a bit hotter around the edges then I thought." Without saying another word, she leaps away and disappears.

I scream in anger and frustration. My kill had been denied me. I won't stand for that. I gather my feet beneath me and prepare to launch myself after them.

A pair of arms encircle my waist as a body slams into my back. I grunt, stumbling and falling to the ground.

"Release me!" I immediately begin struggling, trying to free myself. I plant my hands on the ground and throw my feet into the air, shaking my captor loose and across the clearing. Jumping to my feet, I turn and face Wade in fury. I don't see that it's him. I only see more agents, more of GJ's death dealers.

"Shego, please!" calls a voice.

Whirling around, I throw a ball of burning plasma. I see Kim, but my mind shakes it off as an illusion. After all, Kim died. I saw her die. She can't be here because she died in my arms!

"Shego, no!" cries Wade. He leaps forward again to tackle me.

Ron barely makes it to Kim in time, throwing her to the ground and out of the path of my plasma.I'm shouldered into the dirt. Kicking and screaming, I spout endless curses and promises of pain. My mouth becomes gritty as I pay no attention to the fact my face is pushed into the ground.

"Shego stop! Listen to me!" Wade, struggles to keep me pinned. He doesn't even notice the fact that my plasma isn't burning him like it had in the past. "Shego! It's me! It's Nerdlinger! Please! Shego! SHEGO!"

Finally shaking his grip loose, I throw him off of me.

"Alexandra!" shouts a new voice. Spinning, I find two more agents approaching me. I growl angrily, slinging a ball of plasma at their feet and halting their advance. "Alexandra! Stop this at once!"

"Stop me? STOP ME?!" I begin cackling, mind filled with the sight of when I was storming GJ. "I'll kill you all! I'll slaughter every one of you! I'll have your blood! I'll have your heads!" I sense an oncoming attack and whip out six balls of plasma, throwing all the 'agents' around me to the ground. "Try and stop me… try and kill me… Try it! Just try it! I- UGH!" It feels like a train just ran into the back of me. Soaring forward, I slam face first into a tree then through it and into the tree behind it. Blood trickles down my nose as I slowly get to my feet, a humorless chuckle slipping from my lips. It slowly grows into more laughter as my unseeing eyes lock onto Hego.

"Shego stop!" he bellows. For once, he looks frightened, his blue eyes watching me in uncertainty. "You're going to hurt someone!"

The Wegos are cowering behind our parents. They had multiplied at first, but upon seeing the look on my face, they dispersed the rest and ran to our parents. They are unable to fight me.

Mego fairs no better. His only skill is shrinking, and last time he'd attempted to fight me, I'd threatened to squash him beneath my boot. Though, at the time, I'd been joking, this time, he knows I will hold true to that threat. He's decided to hang back and wait to see what will happen and if he can help at all.

I let loose a guttural roar and unleash two heavy streams of plasma at Hego. Blanching, Hego doesn't even have time to move before my green flames are upon him. He screams, bringing up his arms in a failed attempt to hold off the plasma.

"Damn it Alexandra! We're family!" bellows someone off to my right.

"Family? What family? They died. They all died," I prattle on, my attack not slacking as my eyes stare on wildly.

"They're right here damn it!" shouts Wade. He's on his feet again and taking a step closer. "I'm here! We're here!"

"Shego! Stop! Please!"

My head twitches, as if I'm trying to rid myself of a pesky fly. That voice… it's that voice again. Why can't I shake it? Why does it prick my thoughts like a determined child? I grind my teeth. It can only be a poseur. It's only a ruse.

I don't even turn to look as I lift one of my hands and begin aiming for the source of the distraction.

"Don't you dare fucking kill her again!" cries Wade as he jumps forward and slams all his weight down on my arm. I'm stunned by the force of the attack and left unprepared for it when he pivots and smashes both fists into my jaw.

The force of the blow picks me up off my feet and sends me spinning through the air. I hit the ground and roll a few feet before I come to a stop. Wade watches me in silence, panting heavily. Everyone else is locked in tensed indecision.

"Shego, get up," commands Wade. "Get up and take a look around you!" He stomps over to me and reaches down to grab my collar and jerk me up to his eye level. "Stop freaking out and look at me! Who am I?!"

I focus on him blurrily. A part of me growls in anger, demanding a quenching for its thirst for blood. The other part of me stumbles around in confusion, trying to figure out why the scenery isn't what it's supposed to be. There aren't any steel walls. There aren't people in that damnable blue uniform running around. There are no telltale insignia posted all over the place.

Where am I?

Wade instantly sees the turmoil in my eyes. He forces me to meet his gaze, to look at him full on.

"Shego, who am I? What's my name?" When my gaze starts to wander, he shakes me and forces me to look at him again. "Who am I?! Tell me! What's my name?!"

"The fu-" Another shake jars me. "Shit…wha-"

"I said look at me! Who am I?!"

Sudden recognition snaps into place. I bring a fist down and lightly hit him on top of the head. "What the hell Nerdlinger? What's your deal? Put me down!"

Eyes tearing and bottom lip trembling, he sets me down and wraps me in a tight embrace. "Damn it Shego… You fucking scared the hell out of me… I thought… I…"

I stare at his dreadlocks in confusion.

"What the hell are you talking about? What'd I…do…" My words trail off as I take in the surrounding area. Several scorch marks mar the area and the smell of burnt greenery fills the air. My panicked gaze turns quickly to each of the faces around me, each a mix of either terror or worry. The simple location of several of the burn marks tells me all I need to know.

My knees give out and I collapse to the ground. Wade follows me down, hands protectively on my shoulders. The clearing is eerily silent.

Wade cups my face in his hands and smiles down at me gently. "Welcome back."

My eyes dart up to his face in fear. "Did I… D-did I…"

He shakes his head before leaning down to kiss my forehead. "No. You didn't kill anyone."

I shudder and lean into him in relief. A sob threatens to escape my lips, but I swallow it down as Wade wraps me in another embrace.

I can hear my father sigh and step forward.

"Wade… what's going on?"

Wade snorts, eyes staring off into the distance. "Where to begin…" He slowly shakes his head. "You have something to say too, don't you?"

Miles blinks in shock.

"Well, yes. We'd been hoping to tell you all after the vacation was over."

Wade scowls and rubs his forehead. "I think we're going to need to know a little sooner then that." He looks down at me. "However, I'm afraid now isn't the time to discuss what's going on with…" He trails off.

I snort and lean away from him, rubbing at my eyes in irritation. "Fuck it Nerdlinger. They need to know what a monster I am."

He grabs my shoulder so hard that I wince. "You are not a monster."

I try to look away, but he refuses to let me do so.

Someone drops to their knees beside us. Both of us turn to find Kimmie staring at me. Freezing instantly, I watch her fearfully.

"Shego… what child was murdered?" she asks softly, green eyes unblinking.

My world plummets. Darkness threatens to overtake my vision, and I find my teeth clenched together so tightly I wonder if it's possible to make them shatter.

"What child…?" I murmur. It's time. I have to explain everything… even the parts that may doom what happiness I've gained in this life. My breath comes in short painful gasps, and I barely keep my shivering in check. Very slowly, as if fearing just looking at her will reveal everything, I meet Kimmie's eyes. My bottom lip trembles.

Brow scrunching together, Kim reaches out and gently cups my face in her palm.

"You have that look again…" she says gently. "That look that says you're afraid you're about to lose everything." She holds my eyes with hers, thumb gently stroking my cheek. "You asked me to stay forever…" she says just loud enough for Wade and I to hear. "I'll be here… forever… I just want to know what's going on. Just let me in."

"Forever?" I repeat, my mind boggling at what she'd just said.

"Forever," she reaffirms. "Believe me?" she asks so pleadingly it makes my heart twinge.

"Believe you," I whisper.

A bright smile breaks across her face as she leans forward and presses her forehead to mine. "Thank you," she murmurs, eyes watery.

When she finally pulls back, I muster what's left of my courage to tell her the truth.

"The child… the one… that was murdered…" I take a couple deep breaths. Wade squeezes my shoulder.

"Who's was it?" she asks softly.

I close my eyes a moment then slowly open them to look her square in the eye.

"Yours."

* * *

**A/N:** I know this fic was just starting to get all cheery and everything, but life is full of ups and downs. So... Well, that and I guess I also kinda wanted you to get a taste of Shego and her whole issue with her past. I wanted to show a bit more of what Shego was going through when she lost herself. I wanted to give you a small taste of her rage and how blind she became when it fell upon her. It's impossible to have a story without challenges and struggles after all. In any case, bad cliffy, I know. Forgive me? I stayed up way past my bedtime to write this as it is lol.

Also, I needed to tie more into her past so it makes sense from the last chapter. After all, gotta wonder why she snapped at such a simple sentence. Also wanted to get Will into the picture and his part in what was going on in the tomorrow that never comes. Anyway, would love some feedback on this one because it was one of those BANG gotta write this down! type of things.

Next chapter will obviously be about Kim and her reaction to what Shego just told her.

And since this A/N is terribly long and I'm half asleep, toodles for now!


	13. The Track

**A/N:** Here it is! the next chapter! Wanted to do it sooner, but these high intensity emotional scenes make me all nervous cause I don't want to get it wrong lol So! I hope you like what I came up with ;P

Oh! and Thank you very much for all the reviews! They're so awesome XD And in response to Divos review, since I couldn't respond with a PM or something, the first time she throws the plasma before she sees it's Kim. And, after she throws it, she's trying to convince herself it's not Kim so she won't feel horrible and try and save her. Plus, she's reliving her past as well as the present. She's utterly confused. Hence, she doubts herself. In order not to hesitate, she goes with the safest venue of pretending that Kim isn't there. That's also why she doesn't look at Kim when she aims for a second shot at Kim. She knows she'll hesitate or stop if she looks at her. Err... I dunno if that cleared anything up but I hope it did.

Oh, and I wanted to add this to the end of the chapter, but this new format is screwing with me so it's going here. This is basically one of the more difficult breakdowns. And what happens after a breakdown? A buildup. So you'll get to see a kick a-- Shego regaining her feet shortly :3

And now, the moment of truth! Read and decide my fate!

* * *

It isn't like time stopped. Kim just stopped. She sits in complete stillness, eyes locked on me unseeingly. Though I want to reach out and shake her awake, I dare not intrude on whatever thoughts must be running through her head. She needs her moment to cope. And yet… that blank stare is unnerving me.

Ron laughs, drawing my attention away from Kim. "Aww, come on! Kim can't have a kid! I mean, who'd be the father?"

Unable to stop the words, I feel them roll out of my mouth into the awkward silence. "You are."

Ron freezes instantly, jaw falling open. "Me… and Kim?!" he squeaks. His eyes dart from her to me repeatedly. "But, you… and Kim… and me…?"

"Ron… is the father?" asks Kim, her voice hoarse. I wince, nodding ever so slowly. I realize she's not looking at me anymore. She's staring at Ron in disbelief.

"Ron… is the father," I answer, letting my gaze fall to the ground.

"Kim's pregnant?!" bellows Hego.

Kim and Ron both pale, Kim swaying where she sits on the ground. I flinch and then angrily get to my feet. I snarl at Hego.

"No! You dolt! She isn't pregnant! Pay attention to the conversation you lack whit!"

"But you just said…" he insists.

I can't restrain myself as I hurl a ball of plasma at him. My body trembles. Physically and emotionally, I'd gone through at least two train wrecks today… I can hardly keep myself in control. "I said no such thing!" I stagger and quickly place a hand to my head in attempt to right my spinning world.

Crap. This really isn't the time to be getting weak kneed. A person just can't pop out some bombshell like that and then not expect a flood of questions to follow.

"I… don't understand." says Kim, her voice quavering slightly.

I try to turn and look at her, but my vision keeps swaying in and out of focus. I blink repeatedly at her, squinting as if it will do some good.

"In a future that no longer exists, you and Ron got married," answers Wade. I gladly let him take the lead, seeing as I'm having a hard time keeping myself upright. "You had a child. Shortly after that, you both were killed."

Kim shakes her head quickly with a frown. "No, that can't be right. I don't understand. It doesn't make any sense! If we died, what happened to the child?"

"Oh!" chimes in Ron. He frowns in confusion. "Didn't you say we were enemies with Shego? What about you? What were you to us? Did we fight both of you?"

Wade glances at me. I try to return the look, but my eyesight is still wavering. He nods, and I just barely catch it before he turns back to Kim, Ron, and my family.

"Let me start at the beginning, so everyone will understand. Shego and I are from a different future, a different past. In our past, a future that no longer exists, things were very different. Kim and Ron were two world saving hero's while I assisted them from my room with my computer genius. Shego was a thief and bodyguard who worked for Drakken. We were always fighting each other, though Drakken's plans were never anything to really be worried about. After High school, Kim and Ron got married and they had a child. Shego backed off, and Kim and Ron kept going on their missions."

He pauses to look around him to see if everyone is following. Hego looks utterly confused, but Wade isn't worried about Hego understanding. He just needs everyone else to.

"One day, on a mission, Kim and Ron both got killed. Shego ended up being at the scene and ended up killing Kim's and Ron's murderers. Even back then, she and Kim had a special connection."

I shoot a glare at him, but he pretends to be oblivious of it.

"I went to see if Kim was okay," I continue the story quickly before he can. "She ended up asking me to take care of her child. That was the start of an unlikely and unwilling alliance between Nerdlinger and I. We fought like cats and dogs for years. The only thing that kept as from not killing each other was little Junior. However…" Hands clenching at my sides, I take deep breaths to calm myself. "However, GJ had snapped. GJ was no longer a kind, hidden, law abiding justice force. They became the conquerors, fleshing out and destroying anyone they thought to be a danger to them. That… included heroes." My gaze momentarily flicks to my siblings. Mego and my parents pale.

"It was only a matter of time before GJ caught up with Shego and I," speaks up Wade. "Though we tried our best to avoid them, they finally cornered Shego when I wasn't around. They… shot down and killed Junior… without a second thought because they _had_ to have Shego's head."

"And that's the day my insanity won," I remark lowly, eyes locked unseeingly on the ground. Unbeknownst to me, tears are streaming down my cheeks.

Grinding my teeth, I watch as Junior's face filters around in my head. So many snapshots… so many memories missed being captured by a camera.

Everyone is watching me, waiting. I don't move. I don't even register that they're staring.

"Because of that," Wade says softly. "Because our future was so quickly run into the ground… and was still falling… we chose to change it. It was more Shego's idea. She hunted for an answer for decades… There were long stretches between times she'd contact me. But eventually… her blind persistence won out. She found a way to change everything."

"So we did," I say forcefully. "I will _not_ let anyone take away my future again… my happiness… I will ensure the world is safe this time… Safe… so that she might grow up with a long happy life before her…"

"And so that we might as well," adds Wade, watching me with tears in his eyes.

The first to step forward is my mother. "Alexandra…"

Completely unprepared for the sound of that voice, I flinch. It sends my nerves scattering all over again. Breath ragged, I place a hand to my forehead again.

"I-I… I need time…" Before anyone can protest, I take off running into the forest

I run blindly, my unfocused gaze missing branches and limbs in my way, causing me to run into them without heeding them. They slap at my skin, rake across my face.

Still, I run and run. It's like an endless race I started decades ago… and will never finish. My courage my strength, my fears and my weakness, all seem one and the same. Anger and pain meant joy, because it means I am alive for one more day, alive to spend it as I so choose for those I wish. And yet… the race is so solitary… not even spectators line the sides of the invisible track. Sometimes, I attempt to call to them, but only silence echoes back.

Every now and again, Wade flickers into view out of the corner of my eye. But he never stays. I don't know if it's because I refuse to let him in or he refuses to remain in this solitary shell I've created. It's hard to think on things like that when you're running. It's easier to let your mind blank out… let your life disappear into the track behind you as you attempt to outrun it.

This… is my world. This empty track… this invisible track… is the outline to my life. It spins and weaves, dips and buckles… It carries me on even when I desire so badly to fall down and let my diminished breath return or peter out. And I remain here… until…

SPLASH!

My arms windmill about as I blink wildly into murky water. Instinct finally kicks in and I swim to the surface and take in a lungful of air. I gasp repeatedly as I take in my surroundings. I blink several times… staring out stupidly at the lake spread out before me.

"Have I really managed to run that far?" I ask myself.

Reality slaps me in the face once again.

Unable to work up the will to move, I lay back and let my body float along the surface as I stare up into the darkening blue sky.

"Damn it Shego," I curse myself. "You managed to run again. Did you not say you were through running?" I snort. "If you keep this up, your solitary world will remain that way forever."

I let my hands splash about a bit in the water. Kicking my feet a bit, I spin myself in lazy circles. I listen closely to the water and the noise bouncing through it. It would be so easy… to fall asleep. Everything else around me is drowned out by the water. It's exactly like being in my own world…

KERSPLASH!

I'm forced under the surface by a heavy weight on top of me. Kicking it off, I surge up and come sputtering out of the water. I turn to find a mop of blond hair rising out of the water and a waterlogged naked mole rat flopped out on top. I'm left speechless as Ron coughs a few times and blinks at me. We notice a pair of familiar pants float by before Ron turns to grin at me sheepishly.

"Whoops."

My eye twitches.

"What the hell was that?!" I shout.

He scratches his cheek nervously. "Um… sorry, I didn't realize there was a lake here… I was just… following you."

Narrowing my eyes dangerously, I hold up a warning fist. "You've got until the count of ten to explain what the hell you're doing following me."

He eeps and backs away a little. Rufus hops up and down on his head, patting Ron's forehead and squeaking some quick gibberish I can't understand. The blond's eyes widen then he squares his shoulders and steps forward, for once… looking frighteningly serious.

"Shego, why do you keep running from Kim?"

My heart almost stops. That was the utmost _last_ thing I _ever_ expected to hear from him.

"'scuse me?"

"You just ran from her again," he says with a frown. "Didn't you come all this way to get her back?"

"W-well…" I stutter, absolutely stunned at Ron's sudden spark of intelligence.

"She's not handling this well as it is," he adds. "You shouldn't be making it harder by saying you came all this way for her, and then running off like you don't want to be with her." He sighs and places a hand on my shoulder. I stare at it in disbelief. "I may not have acted properly the first time you told me what's going on, but I'm making up for it now. You care for her, right?"

I look up to meet his unblinking gaze.

"Y-yes."

"Then why are you running?" he asks.

"Y-you… and h-her… You had…"

He shakes his head, a soft small on his lips. "That's where you're messing up. We _had_ that… in a future that doesn't exists. The us, here and now, we don't care for each other like that. I mean, yeah, I crushed on her a bit in Junior High, but it was only a crush. I don't care for her like you do, or like she does for you. I'm just the best friend here."

"B-but your child…"

He squeezes my shoulder gently. "You really loved that kid, huh?"

I can only nod.

He blushes and looks away.

"Look, I-I don't know how things will turn out, but if y-you want me to… help… uh… c-crea…. Uh… you know, h-help out with…_that…_ again, I-I wouldn't be a-against it. Y-y'know… in the… f-future…" His whole face is beet red as he fidgets and stutters.

I feel a small spark of respect flicker through me.

"You're not as dumb as you look," I say with a smirk.

His head snaps up and his jaw drops open. "Hee-y!" he whines.

I laugh. "You better be careful, or I'll take it back." I point over my shoulder. "And you better go get your pants before they sink or something."

He yelps and dives sideways and begins swimming wildly towards his disappearing pants. I watch him a moment before nodding to myself and moving to the ledge I'd stepped off and haul myself out of the water.

Much as I hate admitting it, the buffoon was right. I'm not the only one suffering. I bet Kimmie's mind is in complete overload. I glance at Ron. And leave it to the last person I expect to follow me be the one person who sets me straight. Ironic.

I scratch my head and look around at the trees. Sighing, I pick a direction and take off at a ground eating lope.

If I know Princess, she'll either be in the highest place she can find, or the smallest most isolated. However, seeing how nosy my siblings can be, I have a feeling she'll try to find the highest place she can find to avoid them.

I groan.

"As if my arms weren't already tired from the first climb," I mutter. Shaking my head, I zigzag through the trees to the very cliff we'd been at earlier today.

The climb is easier this time, simply because I'm not chasing someone up it. When I finally reach the top, the sun has already set and the stars are out. The cool night air sends a shiver down my spine as I search the partially lit cliff top in the light of the waxing crescent moon. Even with that light, I can barely make out Kim's huddled form hidden in the shadows of a rocky outcrop. I sigh and move so I'm only a few yards away from her and sit down.

"It's getting late," I say gently. "The temperature is dropping too."

She doesn't answer me. Pulling away, she draws her knees up to her chest and buries her face them. My heart clenches.

"I… I-I'm sorry, Kimmie…" I choke out. My chest feels like its trying to strangle the very words before they can get out. "I-I… Please… talk to me?"

The silence drags out between us. The sound of the wind rushing by is the only thing breaking it. My hair whips around my head, making Kim appear and disappear in my vision.

"… Did you tamper with my feelings?" she asks. "Is that what you did?"

My heart crumbles. I can't breathe. I can't think.

"N-no…" I whisper, my voice barely loud enough for even me to hear. "No." I say louder. "No!" I move to my hands and knees, leaning towards her and begging her to look at me, to see I mean no harm. "I would never do that! I didn't do that!"

"But then why was I married to Ron in your future?!" she demands. "Why didn't you tell me?! I had a _child_ Shego! A _child_!"

"No, no, no, no…" I stutter, my hands digging into my hair in agitation. "I didn't… I didn't! I would never…!"

"Then what did you do to me?!"

"Nothing!" I shout, tears once more rolling down my face. "I did nothing! I only brought you back! I only gave you life! I took _nothing_ from you! I _couldn't_ take from you!"

"Then how do you explain that child?!" she demands.

"You gave her to me!" I beg her to understand, to see. "You told me to save her! I took nothing! I only wanted you to live! I only dreamed…! I didn't take!" I shake my head harshly, staring down at my pale hands. "How could you expect me to take from you?" I ask hoarsely. "I-I didn't tell you in the future how I felt because you'd already made your choice! I did nothing to change that! I only dreamed!"

She jolts slightly at the last sentence. She dares to lift her head enough to peak at me through her hair, though I don't notice it.

"You… dreamed?" she says tonelessly.

"I only dreamed!" I repeat. "You were a world apart from me Princess! I always knew that! I was content to leave it like that in the past! But… I was selfish! I wanted to spend more time with you! I want to be your friend! That is all I dared attempt! I only dreamed… I only dreamed…" I ramble on. I dig my fingers into my forehead, trying to bring myself out of my haze of misery.

Damn. I'm breaking down again. I keep losing control. My unbreakable mask of indifference keeps cracking. It keeps slowly falling apart.

"I can't take it…" I murmur to myself, forgetting Kimmie's even there. "I can't take these emotional roller coasters… I keep falling further and further… I… I forget who I am… I'm… I'm losing myself." My eyes widen and my trembling stops. "What have I become?"

A hand touches my hair. I jerk back so hard that I topple over backwards. I'm breathing heavily as I look up to find Kim standing above me with her hand poised in the air. As I stare into her deep green eyes, I see understanding finally click into place.

"Oh Sheggy…" she sighs, kneeling in front of me. "I'm sorry."

What? What did she say? Why… Why is she apologizing?

"What…"

"Shh…" She places a finger on my lips and slowly shakes her head. "I didn't see it before. I couldn't… I knew your burden was hard to bear, but it's far greater then I would have expected. I don't know what it means for my world to fall apart. It hasn't yet. But your world has fallen apart more then once. And instead of being understanding…" She smiles weakly, and I spot a tear glimmer in the moonlight as it falls down her cheek. "I became judgmental."

Without thinking, I reach up and catch the tear with my finger before it makes it halfway down her cheek. She blinks then reaches up to gently cup my hand in hers.

"I'm sorry Sheggy."

My bottom lip trembles.

"My world…" I murmur. That track… that invisible race track… "It's changed a lot… many times… I'm still trying to piece it back together… I… don't know…"

She smiles sweetly and kisses my fingertips.

"You're a little lost. But now, you don't have to find your way alone."

The race track… an endless track… I'm running… just running… and a hand slides into mine. When I turn to look… Kim is grinning at me, red hair trailing behind her like wildfire.

* * *


	14. Oops

**A/N:** Ah, I know this took forever to get out! I'm sorry! I had to get back into the swing of the story or I wouldn't have done it justice. And it's been crazy busy.

This is a little longer then previous few chapters, and I hope you like the results! I'll work hard on getting out the next chapter faster.

* * *

An empty soundless void… that's what I'm floating in. Darkness, and the sensation of being lost, but knowing exactly where I'm at, fills my mind. I know I'm dreaming. I've been here many times before. I never know when it's going to happen, but I always remember when it does.

As if on cue, a cracked mirror with a few missing pieces appears in front of me.

"You've been having fun recently," says my reflection. I look her over, taking in the differences between us.

Her hair is in an untamed mess down to her calves, body tense in a constant coil for striking. Her muscular body is covered by a tight black catsuit, no green upon it. Her nails are chipped and irregularly shaped and her skin even paler then normal. Finally, I meet her eyes. Those dark green orbs are wide, almost unfocused with their wild stare. There is a nearly frightening grin on her face as she watches me unblinkingly.

"You really let yourself go," I muse aloud.

She snorts, a few strands of hair falling into her eyes. "Yes, you really did. You've made quite a home for yourself now, haven't you? All relaxed and giddy."

I cross my arms and look away dismissively. I'd forgotten how eerie it is to stare into those insane eyes.

"Relaxed? Ha! This new Dr. D is keeping me on my toes pretty well."

Her smile spreads, eyes nearly sparkling with displaced anticipation. "A dangerous Dr. D? Now that's priceless. He still barking orders at you?"

"I'd have thought you realized I haven't worked for him since GJ became GR. And before you ask, I don't plan to ever work for that blue idiot ever again."

"But if he's dangerous, wouldn't it be twice as fun as it used to be? You'll get to fight Princess again," she coos.

I scowl at her, daring to look into her eyes again. I hate looking into those eyes. "I fight along side Princess, now. I don't plan on changing that."

She cackles, the mirror trembling until her laughter dies out. "You've sided with that redheaded brat? You actually did it? Well, I guess there's nothing like covering that lil' ass of hers."

Knowing it's useless to strike out, I glare at the mirror while my hands clench tightly, unseen. "Did you have something to say? You only crawl out of your hole when you've got something to say."

Her grin spreads wide, face seeming nothing but shining teeth and wide crazy eyes. "I've always got plenty to say. I speak all the time. You hear me too. I'm always teasing the edge of your thoughts. It's even more fun when you respond."

I frown. "Either say what needs to be said or shut up and go back to your hole."

"Forgetting already that we're one and the same, are we? Just because you stole a younger face, that doesn't make you any different on the inside."

I snarl and hold up a burning fist. Cackling madly in response, she watches me with glassy eyes. "I'll shatter your existence," I growl.

Still cackling, she answers, "You can try! You've tried before! Have I left yet?" Her laughter grows louder. "You've barely scratched my surface!" She waves a hand at the mirror. Her laughter abruptly cuts off. "Drakken's new bodyguard deserves attention. She is no push over. And though you've managed to frighten this new Dr. D, he was never one for giving up." She smirks. "There is more going on. Have you gotten so lazy that you've forgotten how to be a thief?"

"I know quite well what needs to be done. If that's all you have to say, don't waste my time on such trivial matters." Spinning around, I begin walking away.

A small dry chuckle fills the void behind me.

"Don't get so arrogant. Never forget, you're the one who released me."

An overwhelming wave of barely controlled power, anger, and glee slams across my back. It takes all of my willpower not to flinch from the force of the mental attack, and as I keep walking, her echoing laughter follows me.

**--Cabin--**

Staring out the window balefully, arms crossed moodily, I watch as the sky pours seemingly endless amounts of rain. Kim is sitting on the bed, watching me.

"It just had to rain today," I grumble. I can feel her smile, even without turning to look at her to confirm it. I huff and wave a hand at the window. "Really! It's like it's never going to stop!"

"Were you planning to go somewhere?"

"I wanted to tan today," I answer with a scowl.

Peals of laughter fill the air behind me. "Is tanning all you ever want to do? I mean, you do have green skin. Are you a plant or something? Are you going to grow if you're out in the sunlight?"

I spin around to glare at her, and it only serves to cause her laughter to grow louder. I open my mouth to throw back a hot retort, but the sound of heavy footsteps climbing the stairs makes it snapped closed. Without warning, I dash forward and grab Kimmie's hand and drag her to the window. Her laughter cut off abruptly, she tries getting her bearings while I throw open the window and pick her up in my arms. Before she can protest, I leap out the window, falling from the second story window all the way to the soggy ground below.

A large splash and a loud squish sound fill the air as I land. Kim yelps as the cold rainwater hits her, but I pay her no mind as I begin racing across the field and into the trees. Kim squeals as the wet branches slap at us and the rain soaks us through. Our breath fogs up before us as I take us deeper and deeper into the darkened forest, it's shadowed paths almost unrecognizable in the changed light.

When I finally come to a stop, Kim is hanging glumly in my arms, hair matted across her face and head.

"Is this for the plant comment?" she asks tonelessly.

I chuckle and set her on her feet. "Not particularly."

Kim shoots me a scowl while trying to part her red hair away from her face and behind her ears. "Then please explain." She holds up her arms to clearly show me how thoroughly drenched she is as she blinks through the still falling rain.

"My father was coming up the stairs."

"…" She stares at me a long silent moment before huffing and throwing up her arms. "And?!" she persists. "You're father was coming up the stairs and…?"

I shrug. "He was coming up the stairs."

"Meaning what?" she asks, hands propped on her hips. She holds her head high and her shoulders back, feet spread shoulder width apart. A small smile crosses my lips. She lifts an eyebrow. "What's with the smile?"

I chuckle. "Look at you. You're hair is hanging in your face in tangles. Your clothes are clinging to you as water falls on you and drips from your chin and nose ."

Kim watches me warily, the wheels in her head turning. "So?"

I smirk. "You don't look very imposing at the moment."

Blinking at me, her head falls slightly to the side as if trying to figure out what I'd just said. Slowly, the words sink in, and her cheeks turn a bright rosy color. "So what?" she blurts, hand waving a bit spastically in the air. "That isn't the point! I want to know why you drug me all the way out here in the rain!"

"I already told you. My father was coming up the stairs."

"And I'm asking why that's so important!"

"I didn't feel like answering his questions." I shrug and start walking in a random direction. I hear a succession of rapid splashes as Kim trots over to fall in beside me. I watch our feet a moment, amused by the squish of our shoes as we walk.

"So… where are we going?" she asks.

"Anywhere."

"… You're going to get me sick."

"Then I'll just have to nurse you back to health," I say with a devious smirk. She looks at me warily before sighing and shaking her head with a roll of her eyes.

"You're impossible."

"Always." I grin at her when her head snaps around to look at me.

We walk a ways in silence, the rain still falling in a soft shushing sound. I glance at Kim out of the corner of my eye a few times, watching her as she concentrates on something absently. Finally, after making a seeming decision, she nods and lifts her head.

"Why were you so quiet this morning?"

I blink a couple times before staring ahead into the pouring rain. I guess I _had _been quiet. But normally after conversations with myself, I get sort of reflective. I start looking at my past and my new present and just… think, judge myself. I try to decide if I did everything I could, or if I did it wrong. I turn things over and over again, mixing and matching the what ifs and the could have beens.

I really never get anywhere but frustrated when I do that.

I sneak a peek at Kim and find her watching me closely. I chuckle and shrug, "Arguing with myself."

She lifts an eyebrow. "Arguing with yourself, huh?" Smirking, she shakes her head and sends little droplets of water flying. "Oh!" She stops in her tracks, hand flying to her mouth in shock. "I forgot!"

I tilt my head to the side and watch her in amusement as she begins berating herself.

"What'd you forget?" I ask. I watch as she begins pacing in little circles. She's so cute when she does that.

"We have to go back," she says abruptly.

"Huh?" Trying to bring myself back to the topic, I blink at her a couple times. "Back?"

"Yes, we have to go back. I forgot something."

"Do we have to go back now? My father might still be hanging around."

"Yes, we have to go back now," she says firmly, eyes meeting mine.

A smile is trying to tug at my lips, but I force it into a small frown. "You just like seeing me suffer, don't you?"

My remark gets the desired response. She blushes and stutters a second before she quickly grabs my hand and spins on her heel to head back towards the cabin.

"It will be worth it," she finally answers with a smirk.

"Worth it?! My suffering will be worth it?! How?!" I trail behind her in disbelief, grinning internally.

Winking over her shoulder, she continues pulling me along. "You'll just have to wait and see."

I huff in fake irritation, grumbling silly nonsense about crazy redheads and their irrational attraction to suffering. Giggling, she merely quickens her pace.

We reach the edge of the woods and she stops. She grins playfully at me.

"If you really want to stay here, go ahead. But you have to come inside if you want it to be worth your while."

"Oh?" I lift an eyebrow and cross my arms. I can't help but let a sneaky smirk spread my lips. "And exactly how are you going to make it worth my while?"

I sidle up to her and reach out to run a finger along her jaw line. She's caught off guard, her breath hitching slightly. A dark blush stains her cheeks as she stares up into my eyes. I step forward until she's backed up against a tree with no where to run. I trace a little curvy line up to her lips then around them. I lean closer and just barely brush my lips across hers. Her bottom lip trembles slightly, and I let my eyes roam back up to meet her dazed ones.

Unable to resist, I bend forward again, capturing both her lips in a searing kiss. I gently nibble on her lower lip as a small moan escapes her. I pull away sooner then either of us want, earning an adorable pout before she can smooth it into impassiveness.

Opening and closing her mouth a few times unsuccessfully, she has to clear her throat to finally get her voice back.

"T-that's not what I meant," she says, trying to sound irritated. Smirking, I lift my hand and tap her nose.

"Doesn't seem like you minded one bit."

Blushing uncontrollably, she huffs and slips around me and starts stomping off towards the cabin. I watch with a grin, letting my eyes drop a little to watch her hips sway. My grin grows larger as she nears the cabin and my window. Without warning, I let out a yowl and charge across the clearing separating us. She spins around at the noise just in time to catch me headlong as I tackle her to the ground.

"Oof!"

Pinning her to the ground, I nuzzle her cheek with a purr. "Caught you!" I say in a sing-song voice.

"Dang it Sheggy!" She kicks me up and over her head. I flop down on my back with a splash, grinning widely as she jumps to her feet and whirls around to glare at me.

She starts towards me, and I roll to my hands and knees and spring away. She growls and gives chase. I dodge all of her attempts to grab me by hopping around the yard. She leaps and dives for me time and time again, but I always just manage to keep out of her reach. Several odd noises of excitement escape from me, but I'm having so much fun, I completely miss them. You can be certain I would have put an end to them if I had been aware of the fact I was making such noises. Kim, on the other hand, hears them, and it's slowly making a grudging smile break across her face.

Before either of us realize it, not only are we soaked to the bone, but we're covered from head to foot with mud and grass. We're wrestling around on the ground while squealing and giggling wildly, neither of us aware that we actually have an audience until…

"BOOYA! Get her KP! Get her!" exclaims Ron loudly. Pumping an excited fist in the air, he's hopping up and down on the corner of the porch watching us. Standing next to him, Wade is capturing every single moment on video.

Kim and I instantly freeze, myself pinned beneath her on the soggy ground. Our heads snap around to find both boys grinning from ear to ear.

"You're…" starts Kim.

"So dead!" I finish for her.

Both of us scramble to our feet as Ron squeals and Wade yelps. They whip around and begin hauling ass off the porch. It's only seconds before Kim and I swarm over the porch in pursuit.

Ron doesn't stop screaming as he races across the yard. Wade is laughing, waving the video camera in the air in a taunting manner. I sling a couple balls of plasma in their direction, but carefully make sure none of them will actually hit either of them. It makes Ron yelp and Wade laugh even louder, quickening their pace.

I snarl, and without warning, reach over and grab Kim and haul her into the air.

"Sheg-"

"Kimmie catapult!" I bellow. I heave backwards then hurl her at them.

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" screams Kim as she soars through the air… and right into my intended targets. All three of them are sent tumbling to the ground.

"Ha! Bulls eye!" I exclaim with a grin while snapping my fingers. I race over to them to catch them before they run again.

Ron is lying on the ground in a daze while Wade is just crawling to his feet. I scream a war cry and launch myself at him. He yelps as I grab his shoulders and send us both rolling across the wet grass. He wriggles free and tries to run, but I lunge forward and wrap my arms around his legs. Grunting, he falls back down and immediately begins trying to squirm free.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot Ron finally making it to his feet. With a wild grin, I get my feet underneath me and stand up, hauling Wade's legs up with me. I rear back and then throw my body forward, slinging Wade across the small distance and right into Ron. Yelping, both of them fall to the ground again. Kim is on her feet and watching the scene with amusement. Dangling in Kim's hand is Wade's video camera.

Our eyes meet and she holds up the video camera with a grin. I stroll over to her with a smirk as she pushes the eject button and holds up the small disk.

"Now-" she starts.

I snatch the disk from her hand and grin at her gawking face. "I think I'll keep this." I wink at her. "Memories, and all."

She blushes and lunges forward. "Give it back!"

"No." I dance around her as she tries to grab the disk.

"Give it back! It needs to be destroyed!"

I laugh. "But I want to keep it. After all, can't pass up seeing my lil' Kimmie all wet and mud wrestling with me." Reaching out, I tip her chin up with a finger. "Now, can I?" I lean close, so I can feel her body heat reaching for me, tempting me.

"Man, just when I seriously need my video camera," comments Wade, snapping me out of my Kimmie Daze.

My head whips around to find him and Ron grinning at us foolishly. I roll my eyes and sling a plasma ball at their feet, sending mud, grass, and water all over them.

"Aww man!" whines Ron, shaking his hands to attempt to get some of the mud off. Wade only laughs, his lean muscular body shaking. He falls onto his back, still laughing as Rufus crawls out of Ron's pocket to see what's going on. Rufus looks at all four of us like we're crazy before scampering across the ground and up my leg to perch on my shoulder under my hair. He waves at Ron with a grin as I chuckle.

I smirk at Kim. "Boys."

Without another word, I begin walking to the cabin.

"As if you should talk," grumbles Kim.

"Come on Kimmie," I call over my shoulder. "I want to know what kind of surprise you have for me." I wink at her.

Rolling her eyes, she starts off after me.

We enter the cabin through my window, simply to avoid my family and any questions. It wouldn't help that we'd be walking in covered in mud and water to add to the questioning; I think my smug smirk would probably answer their questions on that, though.

Kim and I stand just inside my window, looking around blankly. Rufus had scurried through the cracked open door to go to the Wego's room after sending us a huge grin, leaving us alone in my room.

You see, the problem with entering through the window in this state is I'd make a complete mess of my room. Buuuut… it also has its many advantages.

Transforming my smug smirk into a sneaky one, I grab the bottom of my shirt and begin pulling it off. Kim's eyes are immediately locked on me, a blush slowly crawling up her neck and face. I make a show of struggling to peel the soaked and clingy shirt over my chest, head, and shoulders. Kim makes a disgruntled noise in the back of her throat, but she's unable to look away.

I finally free myself of the garment and toss it expertly across the room and on top of the hamper. I turn my failing attempt at an innocent grin on Kimmie. She swallows, fidgeting slightly.

"You should get out of those wet clothes," I murmur lowly. "First off, you'll make a mess of my room. Secondly, we can't have you catching a cold."

She wants to speak, I can see it in her eyes. She's searching for a comeback. Failing to find one, she watches me like a deer caught in the headlights. I want to slip close and tease her with a few innocent touches, but I don't want to push my luck. Besides, it's entertaining to see her speechless.

With slow deliberation, I turn and shimmy out of my wet jeans. As my foot gets to the waistband, I kick the muddy pants across the room to land on my shirt. Unable to stop myself, I lift my hands above my head and stretch, arching my back and pointing my toes as I reach for the ceiling. Kim's eyes nearly bug out of her head, and I silently cheer in victory.

I saunter away from her and towards my wooden dresser. Pulling out a whole new set of dry clothes, I set them on the bed. I turn pointedly to Kim and let my eyes roam up and down her soggy figure. "Are you coming?" I practically purr, and her cheeks turn a darker shade of red. "Or were you waiting for help?" I add with a suggestive lift of an eyebrow.

Kimmie is in motion instantly, yanking the hem of her shirt up to hide her embarrassment. To my utmost amusement, her haste gets her caught with her head and arms tangled in her shirt. She struggles to free herself, but only winds up getting herself more stuck. I chuckle and slowly make my way over to her.

"Slow down there Kimmie, you're going to rip your shirt," I say teasingly. She instantly freezes. Goosebumps sprout along her skin when I gently touch her arms to help remove the shirt. I begin stripping her shirt off until her head finally pops free and we're staring at each other. She's panting slightly and my own breath has quickened.

Lord how easy it would be to take her right now. My muscles are practically screaming in anticipation. Her body heat is making my blood boil, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to hold back my hand from trailing down her collarbone and lower. I stare into her sparkling green eyes with haunting need, and carefully, deliberately, lean forward to place a chaste kiss on her lips before whirling around to grab my clothes and begin yanking them on. I completely forget that I still need to change my drenched underclothes too, but I know if I stay in here any longer, I'm going to pounce on her, consequences be damned.

As soon as I'm dressed I rush to the door.

"I'm going to get us something to drink," I blurt quickly before dashing out the door and closing it with a bang. I stumble a bit on the stairs in my race to the kitchen. Once I get there, I yank open the fridge door and stand staring blindly at its contents. The cool air sends a shiver through me, but I ignore it as I try getting my bearings back.

"Ally," my mother calls from behind me. She grabs my shoulder. I turn to look at her and she hesitates.

"Alexandra," says my father, rising from the kitchen table and preparing for a long line of questions.

My eyes widen in panic but my muscles lock me in place instead of aiding me in flight. A very small smile graces Mom's lips before it disappears.

"Honey," she says sweetly to Pops. "Why don't we ask later? She looks a little tired right now."

My jaw drops open in a small "o" of shock. She was sticking up for me?! Since when?!

My father looks from her to me repeatedly with furrowed brows.

"But-" he begins.

"Later," insists Mom. She pointedly stares him down. He shifts uncomfortably, looking between us a couple more times before nodding with a small frown.

"Right, later, later…" He heads out into the living room.

My mother smiles slightly before turning to me with a knowing grin.

"You take after your father too much," she says. I open my mouth to ask what that has to do with anything, but she cuts me off before I can speak. "I can read you both like a book." She leans forward and kisses my forehead. "Take a minute to calm down before you go back upstairs. I bet Kimmie is as keyed up as you are at the moment." She smirks as blood rushes to my cheeks. "You and your father are so much alike…" She musses up my hair and winks. "Play fair, now, and we'll sit down and have our little talk later."

Before I manage to die of embarrassment, she strolls out of the room to find Pops.

I stare blindly after her, trying to figure out if that whole bit was a blessing or a curse. Deciding for now it was a blessing because she'd deterred my father for the moment, I go back to searching the fridge for drinks. After several minutes of picking something then changing my mind, I grab two sodas and snag a bag of chips. Taking a deep calming breath, I exit the kitchen and climb the stairs to my room.

I knock tentively. "Are you dressed?"

"Yes!" comes a muffled reply.

Shaking myself into my usual non-chalant attitude, I open the door and stroll inside. Kimmie is sitting on the corner of the bed, staring at her hands as she fidgets with one of her fuzzy pink slippers. With a confident grin, I shut the door and walk over to the bed to drop a soda and the bag of chips in front of her.

I plop down on the other corner of the bed across from her. Watching as she picks up the soda, I crack my own open and take a swig.

"Sooo," I drawl, crossing my legs and leaning back on an arm comfortably. "What was that thing you were gonna surprise me with?"

She blushes heavily and pushes a small box in my direction. I blink at it several times, soda hanging in the air partway to my lips.

I recognize that box… The other day… just before…

"I wanted to give this to you on Valentines Day," she says quietly. "But we kind of got interrupted… and…" She waves at the box sitting demurely on the bed. "Here."

Cautiously, I reach out and wrap my fingers around the box and draw it across the bed. I set my drink on the nightstand and use both hands to pick up the box and examine it. My heart hammers at my chest as I carefully find the slot on the box and open the lid.

A flash of silver makes me catch my breath and hold it. I gingerly reach inside the box and pull out a silver colored ankle bracelet and watch as it dances in the overhead light. On the inside is scribed an artful S and K looped together. On the front is a masterful Celtic knot in green. I cup it in my hand in awe, playing with the twisted metal chain and its simple yet strong latch. I have to blink back tears before I look up at Kim with a wide smile.

"Thank you."

She beams at me, reaching out to take it from my hand and bends down to fasten it around my right ankle. While she's bent over her task, she speaks up.

"I had Wade help me make it. After your little power bomb with the Bebe's, I figured I'd need something you wouldn't be able to melt easily." Finishing her task with a triumphant grunt, she sits up to grin at me. "Promise that it's going to take a lot more then one of your little power bombs to melt this baby." She leans forward and gives me a small peck on the cheek. "Happy belated Valentines Day," she says softly.

I have to blink repeatedly again and reach out to gently stroke her cheek mutely. Swallowing a couple times, I finally find my voice.

"Thank you. It's beautiful." At least this Me is good at saying thank you.

She grins at me impishly before stealing a kiss. When she pulls away, I reach out to steal another but freeze.

Uh-oh…

My face drains of color. I quickly scramble off the bed and away from Kim. I race over to my dresser and begin digging through the drawers.

Where is it?! Where did that blasted…?! Oh… no, no, no, no!

I straighten quickly then slap myself in the forehead.

Please let me be wrong. Please, PLEASE, let me be wrong.

"Sheggy, what's wrong?" questions Kim. She's hovering on the edge of the bed and watching me worriedly. I glance at her and look away quickly in shame.

This friggin' sucks. What the worst set of luck…

"I… I lost something," I blurt, racing around the room and throwing things around in a vain attempt to find said something.

"Can I help you find it?"

"No!" I shout, making her flinch. "No," I say softer. "I… I'll be just a minute."

I race out of the room before she can respond. I fly down the hallway and right to the room Wade and Ron are sharing with the Wegos. I burst through the door, making all four occupants jump.

"Wade! Was there any debris from the fight?!" I cross the room and haul him off the bottom bunk bed to look him in the eye. He blinks at me a couple times.

"D-debris?" he asks in confusion.

"Yes! Did my bag make it?!"

His jaw opens and closes a second. "I-I don't know," he stutters. "I honestly didn't go back and look."

With a frustrated growl, I drop him onto the floor and run out of the room.

Without thinking about my current bedroom attire, I thrust my feet into my dad's boots and dash out into the downpour. I'm instantly soaked as I run blindly through the rain, hoping against hope that my bag made it through the fight.

Ducking through the trees and jumping over logs and rocks, I make it to the torn up battleground. I frantically begin searching the ground. I comb over it countless times before it becomes too dark to see clearly. Wade comes running into the clearing as I sling a large ball of plasma at a tree and put a burning hole right through it.

He sighs at the show of anger and walks up behind me to place a hand upon my shoulder. I spin around to face him, my face a mask of anger and depression.

"I fuckin' lost it!" I shout angrily. His other hand comes up to my other shoulder to keep me in place.

"Lost what?" he asks, his voice calm and soothing.

"I lost it! I fucking lost it!" I cry angrily while ignoring him and brushing off his hands to pace in frantic circles.

He sighs.

"If you had dropped anything or lost anything, you would have found it by now. What are you looking for anyway?"

In resigned frustration, I plop down into a squat and bury my face in my hands.

Crap. I didn't friggin' lose it.

"Ah man… Screw me upside down and sideways…" I mutter, earning a bemused look from Wade.

Search all night to find the perfect gift for the girl of my dreams, and what do I fuckin' do? I melt the son of a bitch!

Shit.


	15. Cue the Rabid and Furry

"I'm told you're the person to see." I slump down into a dark booth, eyes scanning the shadows warily.

The pudgy man in front of me grunts. "Depends on what you're seeing me for."

I smirk in spite of myself. It feels like old times… dead times. I have to admit, I feel completely at ease doing this… though I should feel uncomfortable and edgy. Heck, I'm probably even supposed to feel guilt and remorse. Screw it though. This is too important to be dicking around with things.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Wade by the door. He's trying very hard not to tap his foot in impatience. I know he feels as at ease as I do. After all, this is what we lived for. No, this is _how_ we lived. You had to have connections, and you had to make sure such connections stayed secret… or all hell would break lose and you'd be caught on the wrong end of a bullet.

"I need a key made."

Instantly, the man's interest is perked. Even though he's wearing shades, inside a dark room mind you, his slight shifting says it all. He reaches up to scratch at his scraggly hair under his baseball cap. "A key? Why on earth would you come to me about a key?"

Ah, that's it. Play stupid. Same ol' same ol'. Man, stuff like this makes a gal miss her old gig. Oh well. Can't flip a card twice in poker.

"A little bird told me you're the best. I'm in need of the best. However, if you're not, then I'll be on my way." I purposefully pull out a gold coin and flick it into the air. His eyes lock on it, watching as it flips and then descends right back into my palm where I curl my fingers around it. "Heads says you're a fake; tails says it's you're lucky day."

I start to open my hand. His hand flashes forward and grasps mine.

"You rest an entire deal on a coin?"

"I rest a deal on the certainty it's done properly." I stare squarely into his sunglasses.

He smiles. "Well, there is nothing less certain then my skill. What kind of key do you need made? From safes to jail cells, I've never made a key that didn't do the job."

God I love this part! Stroke a little ego, and they all crack like giggling school girls with a secret! It's almost too damned easy.

"I don't just need a key," I say calmly, leaning back to recline in the seat comfortably. "I need a certain key."

He guffaws and waves a hand in the air. He falls back into his own seat and grins widely. "I already told you, I make everything, even for things that don't seem to have locks."

I let a slow grin spread across my face. "Then I give you a challenge."

He's getting eager. His leg is bouncing up and down under the table; I can feel the vibrations through the floor. This is so entertaining, like throwing a bone for a dog and waiting for him to happily go retrieve it.

"Well?" he says, spreading his hands wide.

"A skeleton key."

Shoulders falling slightly, he huffs at me in disappointment. "A skeleton key? That's child's play. There's nothing difficult about that. Here I thought you were going to ask me one that required lasers and kill switches."

"Here's the catch," I interrupt. "It has to look like this…" I slide a piece of paper across the table to him. "And it has to be indestructible." I smirk, letting my eyes glint in the low light. "And, it needs a laser that specifically reacts with only a certain DNA sequence."

He blinks at me, jaw falling open a bit. It takes a few seconds for him to regain his senses enough to speak again. He tries to look nonchalant, but he's practically glowing with the challenge. "I suppose you have the DNA required to perform such a thing, yes?"

"Of course." I grin and hand him a small tube. He reaches for it quickly, once again belaying his calm façade. "I need this done in two months time."

"Two months?" He snorts, fingers wrapping around the tube. "I need only one."

I tighten my hold on the tube and nearly glare at him. "When I mean indestructible, I mean nothing short of the galaxy imploding will destroy this thing. It has to be able to withstand the intensity of the sun."

He blinks. I can see it clearly behind those dark lenses. He's spooked too. His hand has little tremors running through it. "Intensity of the sun?" he echoes. He has to clear his throat so his voice doesn't give out or squeak. "Two months."

I release the tube and he retracts his arm quickly. "Your payment will be well worth your efforts."

Without bothering to discuss a price, I stand and start heading for the door. His head whips up at my actions, but he's so shell shocked, he can't even work up the nerve to call out. Wade nods to me as he falls in step beside me.

"Seems that went well."

"Easy as stealing the world's largest diamond from a vault."

Quirking an eyebrow at my wording, Wade smiles and simply follows as I lead the way back to his hov-bike. "Anything else on the agenda list?"

"You need to start making the box. He should have that thing ready in two months."

Wade stumbles. "Two months?! Are you crazy?! That kind of box would take… take…"

"Two months," I reply calmly. We both slip on helmets. "I only get one shot at this, Wade. I already screwed up by melting my last gift for her. I'm damned lucky my dripping wet-sorry-ass hide earned enough pity that she took my sob story and didn't get upset about not getting a gift in return." I smirk. "We're also lucky my parents didn't spot us leaving. If they find out we took a trip to town, they'll kill us both."

Wade scowls at me as he kicks a leg over the seat of the hov-bike. "I'm half tempted to ditch your butt over the cabin and let your parents find out about your little trip."

I chuckle as I get onto the bike behind him. "You wouldn't dare. They'd know right away you'd helped. Who else is genius enough to make a hov-bike that can break down into a box small enough one would think it houses shoes?"

Wade huffs irritably as he starts the hov-bike and launches us into the air. "Look, you're asking a lot from me. Seriously. Genius I am, this is gonna take some serious thought. Besides, just because you have a box, it doesn't mean the key fits."

"I've written down all the measurements. I gave him a copy, and I'm giving you a copy. I've already told you what I want done. All you have to do is make it a reality."

"Some realities don't bend." He focuses on the road… err, airway, ahead, voice emotionless.

"And some just need the right tweaking." I shrug and tap his helmet. "Relax, genius boy. If I didn't think it was possible, I wouldn't have bothered to ask in the first place. I have faith in you." I give him a frighteningly sweet/pouty grin.

"Don't do that." He shudders. "That's too… innocent-school-girly for it to _ever_ cross your face."

"Blah, I think you're right." I make gagging motions. "Only princess can pull this crap off."

He smirks. "That is so very true."

I smack his shoulder. "Hey! No getting all droolie over my woman!"

"I wasn't. I was merely making comment on how un-charming you are."

I hit him again. "Doy! That's just as bad!"

He laughs. "Serves you right. Drag my ass all the way out here in the middle of the night… I bet you would have fried my butt if I'd even scratched at your door."

"You're just a pushover."

"And you're a pessimistic grouch."

Our verbal battle continues the entire trip home.

---Next Morning at the Cabin---

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up! Let's rehash this!" I launch to my feet and quickly swipe my arms in a no-go motion. "I was being sarcastic when I said Kimmie and Nerdlinger have powers!"

"I know," answers my father, staring up at me calmly from one of the sofas. "But I'm quite serious. Years of exposure to you have managed to taint them with their own powers, via the comet."

"So," interrupts my mother. "Indirectly, they've got comet powers too. Interesting part, they're different then yours."

"Different how?" Wade asks calmly.

I huff and plop back down onto the sofa between Wade and Kimmie. Kimmie is staring at the floor intensely, while Ron is gazing wide-eyed at my parents in shocked awe.

"Well, what we've recounted, you have this thing with machinery," says my father.

"Big surprise there," I mutter. My mother sends me a shushing glare. I scowl at the wall to the right.

"Machinery and electronics have this… bond with you. They answer to you like… they might be alive, almost," my mother elaborates. "We've spotted sparks and waves of electricity jump from you, and to you, from different electronic items. We're not sure what all that entails, but you seem to have some sort of grasp on electrical pulses."

"Like that one crazy electronic chick," I sigh. Wade's eyes light up with understanding, but everyone else looks confused. "Oh, right, you never met her here." I wave a hand airily. "Never mind."

They exchange looks but let their questions go.

"So, what's KP's power?" Ron asks.

My parents hesitate. Clearing his throat, my father answers for them both. "Well, we're not quite sure yet… per say."

I lift an eyebrow at them. "You're not sure?"

My father chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. "Well, they've only just started showing signs of this stuff. Wade's seems a little more advanced, and Kim's hasn't peaked enough to show it's form. They've both shown an increase in strength and dexterity, but beyond any physical attributes, Kim has yet to bud."

All eyes fall upon Kim, who fidgets somewhat nervously.

"Powers, huh?" She laughs nervously. "Wow. I thought… stuff like this only happened in comic books."

I roll my eyes. "If you haven't noticed yet, our entire lives are like one morbid comic book." I let a burst of green fire engulf my hand. "Normalcy here doesn't exist unless it's abnormal."

"After all," adds Wade. "We've altered time and fate. What comic book doesn't have some crazy skewed mix up with bending reality and jumping back into the past?"

I look away from Wade and let my gaze slide over my parents. They're both still focused on Nerdlinger, both looking unnervingly calm. I frown and look away.

"You're taking our reality bending alterations rather calmly," I comment, refusing to look at them.

Grasping my mother's hand tightly, my father directs all of his attention to me. "You've told us quite a tale. To say we aren't shocked would be a lie. We are, however, digesting it."

"I repeat: you're taking it all far more calmly then one would expect."

"Stubborn as you are, you're our daughter," my mother cuts in. "For whatever has and will happen, that won't change," she says firmly. "It's not easy to swallow, but crashing about hysterically will solve a lot less and get us no where. It's unfortunate that a part of you never grew up to know this side of us, but we are here now and you should know that we aren't going anywhere."

I'm unnerved how deeply touched I am upon hearing that. It takes all my will power to externally remain unfazed. The discovering and reliving life with a family has truly shaken me. It always seems to take me off guard at the worst of times.

"By the way," my father jumps in again. "We're telling your aunt."

I blink twice. "WHAT?!" I roar, surging to my feet. "Are you out of your mind?! She'll, like, go science crazy on me! She'll bleed me for answers!"

My father chuckles and scratches his head. "Well, yeah, she probably will. But, we're still telling her. She needs to know."

"Why?!"

"She's family."

That simple sentence smacks me hard, knocking whatever rebuttal I had out the window. I'm not sure how or why it did that, but I'm forced to huff in exasperation and retake my seat without a fiery comeback being shot back.

"So, Kim and I have powers," recounts Wade. "We've told you about our past. Any other bombshells to toss out there?"

"We found the boogie-man and he's selling candy," I remark, deadpan.

I earn several eye rolls.

---Six hours later, Cabin---

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I bellow, racing up the stairs in a panic. A high pitched squeal sounds behind me, and I break out into a cold sweat.

"But Darling Alexandra! You're a prize no other human on earth has the privilege of possessing!"

My aunt comes bounding up the steps behind me. It's frightening how she's managing to keep pace.

"I said don't touch me!" I repeat, dashing into my room and slamming the door closed. I'm breathing hard as I look for another means of escape.

"But you have soooo much to tell me, Alexandra!" She taps gently on the door. "Even sweet lil' ol' Possible would be dying to prod you for questions!"

"Don't bring her parents into this!" I scream loudly, near hysterical at the idea of being chased down by more crazy geniuses. They're trying to kill me. Seriously, they're trying to kill me!

Escape! I need escape!

I dash quickly to the window. Just as I throw it open, my bedroom door comes crashing in to slam against the wall. I glance over my shoulder to see my aunt's glasses glint eerily in the light.

I have to admit, I almost let out a frighteningly girlish squeal of alarm. I will, however, point out, that anyone with a crazy medical/science genius for an aunt that is chasing you down like a rabid dog, you'd be positively petrified too. Especially, if it looks like she might actually have you cornered. Ugh, gives me the heebie-jeebies.

I leap out the window and book it for all I'm worth. Behind me, I hear her cackling madly from my room.

I have no idea where Wade is. How he got out of the Rabid's grip is beyond me. Bastard should have took me with him. In any case, I'm not stopping until I'm certain she's nowhere within a ten mile radius and I have absolute proof she won't ambush me.

She was terrible when my brothers and I got hit by that comet. To hear I'm two people made one and from an altered future… stupid-non-existing-god save me! Can't you damned well create a clone to distract her with?! Ugh, I hate having to keep running from all these weird psycho geniuses.

"We meet again," says an oily voice from above.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" I grouse loudly. Monkey Fist… a.k.a., Furry Freak, is crouching in one of the trees.

"Drakken said you'd be here," he continues. "Said you were burnt out from your encounters with him. Thought I'd test that theory."

He launches himself out of the tree at me.

"Can't you guys leave me alone for one friggin' day?! Just one!" I grab his wrists and roll back and kick him away from me. He soars through the air then flips and lands on his feet.

"No one gets a day off, especially not heroes," he says gruffly. He attacks me with a swift combo, which I easily block and avoid.

No powers. No backup. Great day. Just fan-freaking-tastic!

"I'm starting to think this hero saving thing was worth quitting the first time." I growl, kicking him in the gut and putting distance between us. "Cause this is seriously getting irritating."

"Stop yammering and die!" he shouts, motioning with his hands for his monkey goons to come out and play.

What I wouldn't do for a hov-bike right about now.

The swarm of monkeys converge upon me at once. I knock them all back and slowly make my way further from Furry Freak as I keep fending them off as they regain their feet. Furry Freak lunges forward, feet outstretched.

*BOOM!*

We're all sent flying. Dirt and debris are raining down upon as we hit the ground painfully. My ears are ringing and everything is spinning.

Damn. Someone else snuck in on the fight. I was so busy focusing on Furry Freak and his pals, I didn't notice the third party.

I shakily push myself up until I'm standing on jelly legs. I try to examine my surroundings, but everything is swimming in and out of focus. Just as I locate a standing profile, something solid smacks me across the face.

"Umf!" I fall back to the ground, blinking back stars and spitting out blood. I struggle to my hands and knees, but another blow rains down upon my shoulders. "Gah!" I blurrily turn my head to seek out my assailant, but a third blow connects with the back of my head.

Lights out.


	16. Kidnapped

"Her biological structure is beyond anything I've ever seen," says a distorted voice. "Even with her powers, she shouldn't be able to do half of the things she's shown that she's capable of."

"It doesn't matter," answers a second voice. It's as muffled and unidentifiable as the first. "We're not out to assimilate her powers. We aren't even going to try. The point of capturing her wasn't so we could obtain power."

"I know. It's just… the scientific understanding of such unimaginable powers is…!" The first voice sounds awed and excited.

"Not going to be discovered," finishes the second voice flatly. "Our goal is beyond such simplistic selfish idealistic empowerment."

"But it would be such a help to humanity!" persists the first voice.

"By what, giving power to those who would abuse it?" answers the second voice gruffly. "I've seen that one too many times. There are too many fools out there that would challenge all and everything, bringing about destruction for and with such power. If we don't antagonize the issue by trying to figure out her genetic formula, we're all that much safer from the foolish."

The first voice remains silent, but clearly still thinking it would be worth the discovery, just not worth going against the second's wishes. Finally it sighs. "What are we doing with her then? She's going to be royally steamed once she wakes up. Especially confined in that nice little glass tube. She's going to think we've been doing experiments on her."

"Exactly why I want to be able to say truthfully that we haven't," says the second. "We both know how powerful she is. Besides, once our other target comes barging in, we don't want two enraged super heroes burning our chaps."

"And the other two targets?"

"… One has to be trained by other sources. And the second… well, our good ol' girl Electronique said she'd take up that challenge. Apparently their powers are similar enough she can at least give him a bit of a guiding hand."

"I thought she was trying to stay hidden. Why did she offer to help?"

"Something about the idea of someone else having such powers intrigued her, since they received them by different methods. She's not a bad gal, honestly. Just a bit easy to spark up and get snarky."

"And she enjoys making my computers go wonky," mutters the first.

I listen to the whole conversation without moving. I don't think I _can_ move. It's like that weird half-awake half-asleep place you sometimes get stuck in. You can hear everything, kind-a feel everything, but you can't move, can't call out. Not that I want to give away the fact that I'm listening in. I'd rather find out more information before deciding whether I'm going to fry their asses. They _are _the reason my head feels like it's leaning left in a right thinking world. Even if they don't seem to be out to do me harm, you don't go around beating people over the head to get their attention.

Oh, wait… I do that all the time. …Damn.

The question still remains what I'm going to do about it. Sounds like they know good and well that our little team has, and is, receiving growing powers. It also sounds like they're planning to assist us in developing them. The sixty four dollar question, why are they doing it?

"How long do you think it will be before the other shows up?" asks the first, tapping away at something. It's kind of irritating because it echoes through the liquid I'm floating in, trapped as I am in this weird tube.

"It's only been a few hours," answers the second. "They're good, but we've made sure to plan it so Electronique distracts her target away from ours. It gives us time to prepare, and hopefully the building stress will help manifest our target's power. We both know that it still hasn't evolved enough to be trained properly. We can't train something if we don't know what it is we're training towards."

"By all accounts, it looks like she'll develop powers close to Shego's. I mean, even given the other target's power, she should have some sort of fire or heat related power. She resists Shego's power well enough." The first keeps tapping away absently, driving me further insane by its incessant noise.

"Not necessarily," interjects the second, drawing my attention. "We haven't taken into account that her brothers' powers are different. Only their physical form is capable of alteration; meaning, they cannot produce any kind of power externally. They can only manipulate their bodies. Hego is super strong. Mego can shrink, and the twins can produce clones. There is no firepower there, just a change in their physical form. Yes, it has its advantages, but it's not the same as Shego's and the other target's. Hence, the scope of possibility is broadened."

"So… anybody's guess, then," sighs the first, the tapping finally ceasing.

Good, cause I would have busted out of here a heartbeat more if they didn't stop, consequences be damned!

"Exactly," states the second calmly.

A beeping suddenly interrupts the following conversation. There's a loud shuffling as the first and second person both move to hover over something. With their attention elsewhere, I dare to crack my eyes open a bit and take in my surroundings.

Green tube of goo. Great.

I mean, I like green, obviously, but _everything_ green? Geeze, they're pushing the envelope here.

Beyond the glass, two figures are indeed standing blurrily over a computer monitor. The screen flickers a lot, but I can't make out what is on it. The one on the right is pretty tall, dark haired, and broad shouldered. Obviously male. Probably a fighter. The other person, sitting down at the desk, is dressed in a lab coat and wearing a pair of glasses. Skinny would be a good way to describe them. Blond hair, tall, but not as tall as the other man. And yes, the second one seems to be male too.

I quickly duck my head to ensure that I am indeed fully clothed. I almost sigh in relief when I find that I am. Darned lucky they left me so, if I do say so myself. Wouldn't be responsible for my actions if I had to bust out of here naked.

Just as I begin to examine the room outside my prison, a rumble shakes the room. The liquid in the tube reverberates with the noise and sends the pulse of the aftershock through to bounce off my skin. Startled, all three of us are looking around for the source of the disturbance.

KA-BOOOM!

One of the walls collapses into the room, showering the two men and my tube with debris. I'm surprised that neither man gets hurt, and the flying debris doesn't even scratch my container.

All of us turn breathlessly to the now gaping hole where the wall used to stand. A silhouette stands rigidly in the flashing red lights of the buildings alarm system. My breath hitches in my throat.

Hands… glowing white hands! The energy flickers and wafts around their clenched fists like it's alive. It's… like my plasma, but not. It's… frosting the outside of my tubular confines!

I yelp loudly, finally jerking myself into motion. The two men have no idea I've even moved. The glass on the tube is quickly freezing over, and even the greenish liquid is starting to chill drastically. Petrified I might become a living ice-sculpture, I quickly start to pound on the interior of the glass. My blows merely knock away some thickening sheets of ice. Spurred on by the sight, I begin hammering away harder. No one in the room notices, or at least, no one comes running. The glass starts to crack, but the ice keeps filming over the glass. Truly beginning to panic, I start to kick frantically. The liquid is starting to have the consistency of slush.

With one solid terrified kick, the fracturing glass finally gives way and explodes outward. I quickly half leap and half swim out of my prison, for the ice is already starting to seal over the hole I'd created.

I flop onto the ground gracelessly and quickly scurry as far away from my near-death in stunned shock. Once I reach a randomly selected distance, I glance around to find the two men backed into a corner and facing the intruder warily. I get to my feet and shake off the ice flakes already starting to crust over my damp skin and frost in my eyebrows.

That had been uncomfortably close. I shiver, both from the cold and the realization.

The person in front of me is smaller in stature and, even from behind, is obviously female. Their hair is a shimmering silvery white, the tips seeming just dipped in red. Their hands are still glowing with that white mist stuff, so thick you almost can't see the hands inside. Their clothes…

My jaw drops and my eyes bulge.

"You're not wearing clothes!" I blurt loudly. "Aren't you freezing?" Slowly, warily trying to keep a half eye on the two men, the girl's head starts to turn to glance over her shoulder at me. I flinch. "Holy shit! Demon eyes! Freakin' demon eyes!"

Hey, I've seen a lot of friggin' stuff, but this has yet to be topped! You can't blame me for acting extremely girly while half-freezing, slime coated, and trying to figure out whether to run or not. I mean, her eyes are completely white! No iris! No pupil! Just wide, almond shaped white orbs, staring blankly towards me. It is damned near frightening. Why? Just because you can't be SURE she is looking at you by glancing at her eyes, you can freakin' _feel_ her gaze settle upon you. It's the most unnerving thing I've ever felt. More so because you keep foolishly trying to lock gazes with pupils and irises that aren't there!

So, in my shocked state, I almost miss the girl flinch at my words. It isn't until she speaks that I'm rooted to the spot.

"Demon eyes?" she echoes softly.

Something sparks inside my head, and I take a moment to be gob smacked. I know that voice.

"Your… eyes…" I say stupidly. I even pick up a hand to point.

"My eyes?" she repeats, sounding worried.

No way. No GOD DAMNED FRICKIN' WAY!

"K-K-Kimmie?!" My mouth keeps flapping uselessly after I get her name out, even after she nods slowly in confusion.

"Of course. Who did you think I was?"

I almost faint. Shaking on my feet, the world narrows down to a small black tunnel as I gawk at her.

_This_ is her damned power?!

I have a nice long slur of cuss words raging through my head. There are so many, I won't repeat them all for you. My insane half is cackling in all her mad glory, laughter echoing inside me in eerie, wicked tones.

I finally come to myself enough to lock gazes, or attempt to lock gazes, with Princess. And she's looking none too pleased.

"Have you looked in a mirror?" I ask, sounding oddly mellow when my insides are blaring in disbelieving agitation.

She hesitates. "Of course not. Why should I look in a mirror?"

I force all my raging shock back under control and pointedly look her up and down. "First off," I begin, ticking off the list on my fingers, "you're not wearing any clothes. Secondly, you're hair is _totally _bleached, and third…" I pause a breath, eyes locked on hers. I gently reach out and brush her cheek, whispering, "Your eyes…" Pleased at my touch and trying to nuzzle into it, she frowns up at me in confusion. Her skin is cool, not ice cold, and I can't help but cup her cheek in my hand. I remove my hand, and she starts to pout, until I pull off my glove and quickly cup her face again. Still awed by the cool softness of her skin, I gingerly run my thumb along her cheekbone.

"Shego?" she asks softly, worry just flavoring her voice.

I smile warmly at her, hoping to calm her. "Sorry, ya' caught me by surprise. You look stunning. And your eyes… Wow. I mean… seriously, I've never seen anything like it."

"What do you mean?"

"Princess, can't call you Pumpkin with that hair, hehe… Your eyes… they're completely white. It's like they got bleached along with your hair. It's like trying to stare into a bowl of milk."

Her face flattens into an expressionless mask. "A bowl of milk?"

Okay, note to self, very bad description.

"A pearl!" I add hastily. "A pearl without the rainbowy affect… Yeah… they're like that."

She frowns a little bit, bordering dangerously on being pouty. I shift nervously, waiting for her to say something.

"Pearls huh…" She looks away, lost in thought.

PHEW! Dang, that was close. I really don't need a roaring Kimmie right now, not with those suddenly chill powers of hers. Talk about being left out in the cold… Blah.

"Kimmie, we need to get you dressed," I prod. I'd honestly forgotten for a moment. Now that I've noticed again, I'm blushing up a storm and having a difficult time keeping my eyes from eating her up.

Eye candy anyone? I've got an Ice Goddess glowing in front of me!

I blink and quickly look back at her. My jaw almost drops.

She's glowing! I mean, not like she got dumped in radio active waste. I mean… she looks like a glittering fairy out of some mythical story. Her skin… her hair… she's radiating this soft, soothing… white fog. It's… breathtaking.

I wonder if that sedative they used had something extra mixed in. This is just… too amazing to be really happening.

I subtly pinch myself while Kimmie comes out of her daze to finally realize she is, indeed, completely nude.

"YEEEEEAAAAAAAK!" she squeals so loudly that I have to slam my hands over my ears. "SH-SH-SHEGO! I'm NAKED!"

"Didn't I already say that?" I shoot back. Sighing, I rub my ringing ears. I glare at the skinny guy in the lab coat, holding out my hand demandingly. "Coat, now."

He hesitates, looking at the guy standing next to him. The second man just stares evenly at the two of us, eyes trained at our eye level. The skinny guy, after receiving no help, sighs moodily and starts pulling it off his shoulders. Stomping across the room, he drops it into my hand and retreats back to the other man's side.

I watch him the entire way. When he's back in the corner, I allow my eyes to return to Kim. I sling the coat wide behind her, and she slips her arms obediently into the sleeves.

Once the front is buttoned, we both turn to face the two men.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" I demand immediately. Skinny guy huffs and ignores me. The other guy shrugs.

"We were requested to train you."

"So you kidnap me!?" I spit hotly.

"It was mostly due to your lack of respect for supervision and her lack of ability. We had to demand your attention, or you would have dismissed us before we could have said more than hello."

I roll my eyes. "Great way to start off."

"Would you have listened if I told you your parents mentioned your need of this training?"

Eyes narrowing, I cross my arms and lift my chin. "I would have laughed in your face and then told you to stuff it."

"Exactly." He sighs at our refusal to budge. "Look, we really meant no harm. Yes, we kidnapped you. Yes, we contained you in that nice little tube. Did we do anything to harm you? Have any of you been injured? No. All we're here to do is help you improve your control of your powers, possibly even advancing them to greater levels."

"And you propose to do this how?" steps in Kimmie. "I haven't heard of anyone else sharing any kind of powers remotely similar to ours. How will you train us in them?"

The man finally smiles. "We don't need powers similar to yours to help you train. We have our own abilities, and we have just the thing to push you ahead."

"Are you serious?" I look them over doubtfully.

"Quite." He meets my gaze for gaze. I have to give him credit for that. After a moment, he sighs again. "Look, we're doing this as a favor to your parents. They helped us out back in the day. Both of your parents," he adds, looking meaningfully at Kim. "Not to mention that some of your foes are getting more skilled in their trade. You're going to have to up the ante." He holds up a hand to forestall our protests. "I'm not saying you're not good. You're doing fantastic. Amazingly so. You've progressed even further than anyone expected you to. But now you're going to have to push yourselves further. You," He points at me. "You're already a target. For whatever reason, you're being singled out and bombarded on all sides. To survive all this attention, you're going to need to push your skills to their maximum. No more holding back or suppressing your talents. You're going to have to open all the doors and truly fine tune your gifts."

"And Kimmie?" I ask, lifting an eyebrow.

"She has her own training to do. Obviously, her powers are new. Like any new talent, you need to practice and hone it, or you'll be folly to it. Besides, once they realize she's got such powers now too, she'll probably be targeted as well. She'll have just as much to worry about as you. We're lucky we get a head start in preparing her."

Despite the fact I want to argue every last single one of his points, I'm having a hard time coming up with plausible comebacks to fire off. It'd already been proven that we need training. I've come close to being trumped several times. If I keep racing around blindly at the pace I am, I won't survive all these attacks much longer. Doubly so for an untrained Kimmie. I can only just tap the surface of trying to train her. It would be wise to find an external source for her training, one that knows how to help her grow to her full potential. It already sounds like Wade is going to be getting some extra help as well.

I scowl, staring hard at the side wall in frustration.

I hate asking for help. I don't trust hardly anyone. I don't care if they're friends of the family. I don't care if they're out for the good guys. I don't trust anyone quickly or blindly. However, the pros outweigh the cons, and I'm coming up short on any better ideas.

Plus, any extra training might help me focus in my free time, when my lapse of self threatens to waver my consciousness. It's been easier, to remain myself. Spending time with Kimmie and the gang has been… immeasurably good for me. I'm stabilizing and rebuilding myself. Without them, I'd have crumbled long ago. As it is, I'm doing loads better, even though I still have to fight my crazy half in the shadows of my mind.

I finally turn to look at Princess. She'd been staring at the floor while I'd been staring at the wall. Sensing my gaze, she looks up to lock eyes with me.

"I hate to admit that we need any sort of help, but it seems we have no better options," she says softly. "And though I'm not inclined to trust them, especially after that little stunt, if our parents corroborate their story, I see no reason to object."

I huff irritably. "I hate the fact either of our families would have done this behind our backs. I don't care if they thought it was for our own good. They should have been up front with us about it."

Kimmie smirks up at me. "You wouldn't have listened to a word your mother said. You would have walked out or started yelling belligerently until she gave up or conked you over the head with some blunt object and drug you there."

A small blush creeps along my cheeks under her steady gaze. "Okay, fine. You have a point. Still! I don't like this. They're keeping secrets. I hate secrets."

Kimmie shrugs. "We have plenty secrets of our own. I'm sure it frustrates them just as much as this frustrates us. Honestly, we have no room to demand them to come clean without losing our own privacy in the matter."

"Can't we at least ask them what the hell that guy was talking about? I mean, he makes our parents sound like superheroes."

Blinking, Pumpkin taps her chin thoughtfully. "Yours… I can see them doing the hero thing. Mine? Ha! Can you imagine my dad trying to save the day? He'd be less helpful then Ron."

"Maybe he was the comic relief," I say coolly with a shrug.

Princess squawks and smacks my arm. "Be nice!"

I smirk. "I am." With a glance to our hosts, I snort, "We better tell them something quick. The skinny one is looking edgy."

Kim frowns at them over her shoulder. "I hate having to do this…"

"Know the feeling," I mutter.

She sighs and squares her shoulders to face them. "Very well," she states, loud enough for them to finally hear. "We'll accept this training. But only on the conditions that your story matches up with our parents. Until then, we demand to be sent home to prepare ourselves for what is to come."

Both men look ready to dispute, but the muscled guy waves off the skinny one's protests with a frown.

"Very well. We can only give you three days, though. With all of the villain community sighting in on you, knowing you're weakened, we need to get you out of the lime light as soon as possible."

"Who will save the world in our place?" questions Princess. Leave it to her to ask.

"We have some friends to help take care of that. You needn't worry." He tries to smile reassuringly, but neither of us are calmed by it.

"We'll need to verify that as well," Kim comments firmly.

I can't help but smirk. Ice Goddess indeed.


	17. Ice Goddess

It's the day after getting kidnapped. I'm draped across the bottom of Kimmie's bed while she stares out the window thoughtfully.

"We still don't know who Drakken's sidekick is," I say into the silence. We'd gotten home and hadn't said a word to each other. Odd, considering Kimmie's explosive new powers shimmering around her. You'd think we'd be bursting with chatter.

Kimmie sighs, white orbs gleaming in the sun as she turns to look at me. "No, I suppose we don't. Newspapers say that a new villain was spotted yesterday too. Robbed a bank in Massachusetts and in Maine before hightailing it into hiding. No one got off a single shot, via gun or camera."

She sounds tired. Though alert, her shoulders are sagging and her eyelids are drooping. Strange.

"You feeling okay, Princess?"

She lifts an eyebrow in confusion but merely shrugs. "I'm alright."

"Are you sure? You look kind-a tired." I roll off her bed and get to my feet.

She sighs and rubs her eyes. "Fine, fine. I'm a little drained. Just need to get some rest and I'll be okay."

I frown, crossing the room to stand next to her. "Your hands are still glowing."

She stares down at them. "I've suppressed the cold…"

"But you haven't actually shut your powers down," I finish for her. I roll my eyes. "If you don't power down, you're going to wear yourself out. You're like a flashlight that's been left on and the battery is going to die."

Kim pouts. "I know, I know! I just can't figure out how to make it stop!" She huffs and crosses her arms in an attempt to hide her hands.

I chuckle and shake my head. "Listen Frosty, we have to fix that before you find yourself bedridden. Since your powers are somewhat similar to mine, maybe we can use the same technique."

"Technique?" she echoes.

"Err…" I scratch my head sheepishly. "Mostly it's just calming yourself down and meditating. You have to do some inner searching and find the on-off button of your power. It took me a week to figure it out, but my high metabolism managed to keep me energized enough I didn't knock myself into a coma."

She pales at the mention of a coma.

"Look," I place my hand on her shoulder, "it'll be okay. Here, take a seat." I wave at her bed. She obliges, perching on the edge attentively. "Okay, lets start by figuring out how your powers first appeared."

"Well…" she begins hesitantly. Her faces scrunches up in thought. "I thought it was when that lightening lady attacked us… but if I really think about it, my hands started getting all glowy after I realized you'd been kidnapped."

"What do you mean? They just started to glow?"

Kim shifts. "Kind of… I mean, I was thinking about you, about what could have happened, and I started getting… really upset. The more upset I became, the more my hands seemed to glow." She shakes her head. "But they didn't glow like they are now. It was very faint at first, just a small drop in temperature. I honestly thought I was imagining things, so I dismissed it."

"Why did you think they appeared with the lightening lady?" I ask.

Kim blushes. "She was taunting us, trying to distract us and get us frustrated. It worked pretty well," Kim admits, smiling ruefully. "I was getting frustrated because I knew you were out there somewhere and needed me. She kept going on about knowing you were missing and taunting me about how I was getting delayed in the search. Plus, she kept throwing little charges of electricity at us. Wade and I were actually hard pressed. Out of anger, I managed to doge her assault and knock her off her feet. Must'a pissed her off because when she got up, she had a massive amount of energy stored. She threw it at us."

Kim hesitates, biting unconsciously on her lip. "It was strange… Wade tried to protect me as I tried to protect him. There was a huge flash of light, and next thing I know, Wade is all sparky and I'm glowing. The ball of electricity she threw at us was no where in sight."

"Wait, back up," I interrupt. "Wade was all sparky?" I lift a disbelieving eyebrow.

Kim nods emphatically. "Yeah, there were sparks dancing all up and down his body! His hair was standing up on end!" She giggles.

I blink. "Whoa…" I smirk. "I'll have to call him Sparky from now on."

She grins. "Anyway, she wasn't deterred. She attacked again, and somehow in the chaos, made sure to separate Wade and I."

I frown. "But… how did you know where I was?"

"I'm getting to that," she scolds. "When she separated us, she came after me first. The longer we fought, the more of a glow surrounded me. Out of the blue, she knocks me down and then drops her fighting stance. She tells me, 'go find Shego. She's being held at the lab in the mountains.' And then she walks off! I called out to her, but she ignored me. In the end, my worry about your safety set me off charging through the countryside."

"On foot?" I ask in mock horror.

Kim blushes and fidgets again. "Um… actually, you know how dry-ice skitters across surfaces if you push it back and forth? Well… it was like I was wearing a pair of dry-ice shoes. Once I got to a road, it was like I was ice-skating the entire way here." She tries to look abashed, but her grin ruins the effect. "Works really well on steel railings," she adds as an after thought.

I shake my head in befuddlement. "Leave it to you, Kimmie…" I eye her. "Still, that's a long way. How'd you make it there so soon?"

Kim shrugs. "Well, my powers gave me an extra boost of energy and speed. The more worried I became, the stronger and faster I got. Mixed all together, I made record time."

"And in the process," I continue, "you kept pulling unconsciously at your powers, forcing them into play. With those few hours to push them, your powers inadvertently came out full throttle."

Kim gazes down at her hands, a frown pulling at her lips as she speaks softly. "I thought… you were in serious danger. I was worried that I… wouldn't make it in time." Tears tease the corners of her eyes. "I honestly thought I was going to lose you, that Drakken had…" She sniffles and I pull her into my arms.

"It was a lousy way to say hello," I murmur. "They should have thought of a different method, especially with all the obvious threats Drakken's been making." I shiver a little at the coolness of her skin. Mentally, I'm berating the fools that kidnapped me.

Yes, their plan worked. They got my attention and caused Kimmie's feelings of desperation to kick her powers into play. But it wasn't a smooth way of doing it. It was like slapping someone in the face because a mosquito landed on their cheek. They're trying to save you from the pain of waiting too long, but inevitably causing you a wallop of pain to prevent one type of pain from the other.

Let's just say the end doesn't always justify the means.

Not that there's a way to go back and fix that. Bastards. If anything, before this is over and done with, I'm going to hand them some payback.

Kim snuggles closer, and I blush as her hands wrap tightly around my waist. I inhale her scent. I blink.

Her scent's changed! She smells like a breath of crisp fresh morning air in the mountains, a hint of snow wafting faintly in the background.

I almost let out a purr as I bury my face in her hair. How refreshing!

"LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR! LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR! LET THE-!"

I whip out my communicator.

"This had better be good!" I roar as soon as the cam' is on. I swear, some days I wish the stupid thing wasn't indestructible! I'd have melted it at least a dozen times by now!

"It's him," Wade says deadpan.

I snarl. "Who's him?!"

"It's Daemon Kage."

The world stops.

-----Later, in the Park-----

"That's impossible," I tell Wade. "He only became a serious threat after GJ killed his family." I shake my head for emphasis.

Wade sighs. "I wish I knew what happened. I've been trying to track down information on him, but I'm not pulling anything up. It took me forever just to figure out it was him."

"How could you tell?" asks Kimmie.

"Scattered snapshots barely caught on camera showed poses only known as his fighting style. No one else knows it. I have a minimum understanding of it, but even though I was his pupil, he never taught me all his tricks."

"How good was he?" asks Ron.

"Think Head Boss in a video game times two. When he wants to fight, there are no survivors," answers Wade.

"But _why_?" I hiss, pacing around in tight circles. "There's no rampant GJ! I mean, yeah, there are idiots out there trying to take over the world, but they're hardly worth batting an eye at!"

"Why does this upset you so much?" asks Kim, looking back and forth between us. "I understand he was your mentor, and was highly skilled, but other then that, why is this so important?"

"Because he _could_ take over the world," I answer flatly, pausing long enough to stare up into the sky and reflect the few chance encounters I'd had with him. "Even with GJ going postal, he outmatched them. _Easily_. He didn't even break a sweat tearing apart their bases. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before he finally brought down GJ headquarters. Once he did that, he would have free reign over everything. People would be praising him too much for freeing them to care if he was a good ruler or not."

"Most of the bases he attacked were in search of information," continues Wade. "He wanted to know why GJ had such a drastic shift from their law abiding ways. Why they had to focus on petty criminals too, instead of the crazy megalomaniacs they'd dealt with before. He also wanted to know who specifically killed his family and who gave the order. It was his ultimate agenda to get rid of every last person involved."

"You respected him," murmurs Kim. "You respected him that much? To believe in him like that?"

I snort. "After all the shit we'd seen, it was kind of a relief to see that there was hope, that GJ wasn't an impossible obstacle to overcome. If he could do it, why couldn't we? His string of thefts and killings only bolstered more people to take a chance and stand up to the madness."

"Honestly," adds Wade softly. "If he'd ever asked all of us 'criminals' to unite behind him for a final showdown, we all would have eagerly bowed to his wishes and done whatever he'd asked."

Kim blinks, mouth agape. She turns to me quickly. "You too?! You would follow him blindly too?!"

I look away a moment to regain my calm before I look back and nod slowly. "I would. For Junior, for a future where she could be safe, be free, I would have walked on water or stolen the very stars from the skies. For a man who promised freedom, I'd do anything he'd asked."

Kim trembles at the certainty in our eyes. Even Ron looks cowed.

"He was a man of his word, Kimmie." My eyes soften as I smile gently. "He truly was. He never gave a word he didn't keep. And he didn't give out brash words that didn't mean something. He… was honorable, in his own way. He wasn't perfect… honestly, none of us were, but he was the right kind of wrong in a world ruled by backstabbing dictators."

"Would you follow him now?" she asks softly, eyes leaving mine to land at my feet. "Would you blindly follow him wherever he went and did whatever he asked?"

A resounding bolt of fear tore through me, stealing my breath and making my body tremble. It was only a quick bolt, but was enough to right my slowly tilting world.

I touch her cheek, hesitantly brushing my fingertip along it until I reach her ear. "I blindly follow no one but you. Obviously." I smirk when her eyes dart back up to search my face. "I changed history for you. I dared to challenge God for you. I ran into deathtraps no sane person would dare even contemplate entering… all for you. Besides, weren't you listening? He was only the right wrong for a world that's dead. This world is thriving quite well, don't you think? Only place I'll follow him to is back to his base to see whether we have to consider him as serious a threat as he was before."

A beaming smile blinds me. "Right!" she says cheerfully. She deflates just seconds afterwards. "We still need to figure out what to do about Drakken. I know they said that someone would be around to take care of things, but Drakken is getting better and better at finding ways to test our limits. I only think he's been quiet this long because you gave him a serious scare." She glances at me. "We need to come up with a plan, a way to pin him down for good."

"That's going to be tough, even with new training," comments Wade. "He's, as you've said, very capable. And we all know he isn't one for giving up, even after a little scare. We still haven't figured out who his bodyguard is either."

"It's all very Japanese," comments Ron, startling them all. Rufus is nodding on the blond's shoulder. "From her clothes to her fighting style, it screams Japanese. But, I hate to say it," he blushes, "but I haven't seen a Japanese woman with breasts that big." He softly murmurs an apology to Yori.

"He's right," comments Wade, a faint blush on his cheeks as well. "The physiology of the Japanese isn't known to be well endowed." He rubs his chin thoughtfully.

I'm barely holding back a nice fistful of plasma, and the air around Kimmie is turning rather frigid.

"What-are-you-proposing?" Kim stares at them flatly, posture tense.

"I'm just saying, even though she's perfectly replicated all the Japanese styles, emphasis on styles, she's not Japanese," Wade states calmly.

I roll my eyes. "Yay, we're like, a baby step closer?" I huff at him. "That hardly tells us squat."

"On the contrary," tuts Wade. "We're several steps closer."

"We're narrowing the search!" crows Ron, jumping up and down excitedly. "After all, there are only so many Sensei out there that could train her to move like that! All we have to do is find out which one was apprenticing non Japanese'y people!"

…

"As amazed as I am at saying this, he has a point," Wade says into the silence. "Which I would have told you, had he not spoken up first," he finishes for good measure.

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. Okay, so, start searching." I look at them pointedly.

"US?!" they both yelp, shying away from me.

"Duh." I sigh irritably. "Think about it. Ron can go to Japan for extra training while we're doing ours here. While he's there, he has ample time to ask around about any sensei that have been teaching out of country students. Plus, Wade, you _always_ do the searching. Why would now be any different? You're a computer wiz that finds information in places most people don't even know about."

"Yeah, yeah," retorts the dark skinned boy. "Same ol', same ol'."

"Hey!" cries Kim, making us all flinch. "I've got a great idea! We can ask Yori to help us!"

"Aw man! Why didn't I think of that?!" groans Ron. He slaps a hand over his eyes. "Duh! Ninja! Hello! Is an expert at this ninja'y stuff!"

I nod, drifting to memories Me had lived and not me. "Right. Good idea. Call her, Ron."

"ME?!" he screeches.

"She's _your _girlfriend," I reply offhandedly.

His face flushes a deep scarlet. "N-n-n-no she's not!"

I smirk. "Oh, right, you haven't grown a pair and asked her yet."

He blubbers incoherently at me.

"Sheeego," warns Kim, placing a restraining hand on my arm.

Darn it. There goes my fun.

"Anyway, he's the one who should call. The rest of us don't know her as well. He _is_ the one that stayed over there for a couple months for training."

Wade speaks up. "She has a point. He does know her better. We'll leave it up to you, buddy!" He thumps Ron on the back. Ron stumbles and Rufus clings to him to keep his perch.

I scowl, eyes turned upwards at the sky. "Ya' know… I've been wondering… Why does Drakken hate me so much? Why am I his only target?"

"Other then you're usually the one that makes his inventions go boom?" asks Ron. Rufus nods with a few agreeing squeaks.

I growl. "Other then that! I know Drakken isn't the most brilliant guy in the world, but that seems pretty petty to me. This Drakken is… well, I wouldn't say stable, but his goals aren't as whimsical or idealistic. We're talking about a serious threat here, a competent villain. It's seems kind of stupid for him to merely target me because I happen to usually be the first one to reach his newest 'toy'."

A moment of silence hangs in the air.

"I'm not sure." Kim looks up at me with a crease between her brows. "I've always wondered that. Now that I think about it, even the first time we fought him his focus seemed to be you. It always seemed like he was pushing you the most, corning you more often then the rest of us. All his best defense gadgets were thrust on you. He created a few specifically for Wade and I too, but ours were more of a diversion to keep us occupied and away from you."

"I hadn't really noticed before," mumbles Wade. He rubs thoughtfully at his chin. "It's strange that we didn't really take that seriously before. Why _does_ he hate you so much?"

I huff and shrug. "I just asked _you_ because _obviously_ I-don't-know!"

"BAH! More digging!" exclaims Wade. He throws his hands up in the air. "Why do you always have to thrust so much on me?!"

"Pah! You're a masochist. You enjoy every minute of it! Look! You're hands are already twitching to start the search!" I point at his hands which are poised like they're on a keyboard.

He grumbles and stuffs them into his pockets.

"How long is this training?" Ron asks out of the blue.

"Uh…"

We exchange glances.

"Dunno," answers Wade.

"I hope it lasts a couple months, so I can skip school," Ron says with a grin.

"You'd still have to do the homework," points out Kim.

"Aw man!"

A couple months wouldn't be bad. It'd be kind of cool to miss a few more classes with Mr. Barkin. When I get back, I could even show off to Kimmie…

… Wait…

A month or two…

No Kimmie…

"Sheggy? You look pale. Something wrong?" Kim touches my cheek.

I look into her glowing white eyes.

Instantly, I glomp attack her.

She squeals while both Ron and Wade jump back.

"Two months without my Ice Goddess?! I don't wanna!" I rub my cheek on the top of her head, crooning as I cling to her. "I changed my mind! I don't want to train!"

"Sh-Shego," she stutters, trying to get her bearings back. "You have to. You need it. _We_ need it."

I growl but don't deny it.

"Fine!" I stomp my foot loudly on the ground. I sneer at the gawking boys. "It's Make-Up time with Kimmie! Get lost!"

Before either of them can say anything, I hoist Kim over my shoulder and begin racing away. All they hear is Kimmie's wail of embarrassment and exasperation.

"Sheeeeeeegooooooooooooooo!"


	18. Goodbye

Ron roars with laughter, clutching his aching sides as he shakes wildly. "Did-you-*gasp*-see *laughter*- his-_face_?!"

"I-*snort*-know!" joins Wade. He's guffaws loudly, hand resting on Ron's shoulder to keep himself from falling to the ground. "He almost wet himself when he saw Kim's eyes!" he howls.

Another riot of laughter makes them speechless as I watch from the sidelines.

Kimmie is pouting at them, huddled close to me for support.

We're all standing outside of the school in the parking lot. It's the designated spot for our 'retrieval'. I'd spent the last two days practically attached at the hip with my Ice Goddess. I hadn't even gone home to sleep. I crashed with Kimmie. Luckily, our parents said nothing and let us be.

"I almost had them green again," mutters Kimmie, pushing back further into my embrace.

I smile and squeeze her gently. "You're eyes are beautiful, Princess. Besides, once you get your powers under control, you can switch back and forth any time you like."

"But my hair didn't change," she whispers.

Earning a squawk from her, I spin her around and pull her close. I bury my face into the soft white hair and inhale deeply. "You're hair is exquisite. It's as soft and white as newly fallen snow."

Her ears turn pink as she nuzzles into the crook of my neck. "But… I was kind of proud of my hair…"

I gently run my fingers through said hair. "It's still very unique. Besides, maybe it will change back like your eyes did. Your power only flickered off for a moment. Maybe it needs longer to adjust."

She clings to me in silence.

I allow her a moment of respite as I go back to watching Wade and Ron laugh over Barkin's reaction to Kim. Even Bonnie had been speechless. Monique had squealed and started listing off fashion tips. All in all, everyone dealt with it rather calmly. No one started yelling at her or belittling her, well except Barkin who always yells. And none of the teachers had told her to get out, even after they discovered that it wasn't a dye job and colored contacts. Admittedly, that helped calm down any apprehension I'd had when we'd walked through the doors. A part of me still remembers the scathing remarks and disgusted looks I'd received back… back before this, back to when all I had left were four brothers who felt as equally cast out.

I sigh and nuzzle Kim's hair.

Definitely relieved…

Movement catches my eye.

Damn. They're early.

"Time's up," I say softly.

I loosen my hold as Kimmie turns to watch as four black SUV's pull up in front of us.

She whirls around and clutches my jacket fretfully. "Shego-!"

I place a hushing finger on her lips. Out of the corner of my eye I spot Ron sizing up the SUV's while Wade watches us solemnly. When he catches me looking at him, he smirks and winks before turning away.

I direct my gaze to Kim's brilliant white eyes. "I'll be counting the days until I can come back and look into these eyes and run my fingers through this hair." I stroke her hair. "I'll be impatiently waiting until I can hold my Ice Goddesss once more."

I hug her tightly.

Please don't let this be the last time… Please… Please make this pain bearable…

I step away, gazing longingly one more time into her bottomless eyes.

I step around her. I walk away towards the vehicle with the man standing outside it watching me pointedly.

A hand seizes my jacket and whirls me around. A pair of soft cool lips press firmly onto mine for a quick passionate second… and then pull away. I blink owlishly as Kim scurries away to one of the vehicles. She hops in and slams the door, hiding herself from view behind the darkly tinted glass.

Only a few weeks… I remind myself.

It will only be a few short weeks and then you'll get to see her again…

The SUV containing Kim starts to pull away, and my chest contracts.

Only a few weeks…

* * *

**END**

* * *

**A/N:** And before you all panic, there is more. However, I didn't want to leap over their training and continue the story here. Nor do I want to write about the training. (training is basically a repetative cycle with only small variations for different results and situations) To me, it would become tedius to explain their training on a day to day basis. So, instead, the rest of the story will be in a continued 2nd half after training and they all meet up again for the first time. There will probably be small flashbacks of their training, or small little tidbits they tell each other, but mostly, the training is not important to break into specified detail; it's only necassary that you know they went on the training, got better, and are back and with some new skills. Perfect time to cap the story here and continue it on a fresh start.

Besides, personally, I find anything beyond 20-25 chapters a little daunting to start reading on here. If it's broken up into different sections, it's a little easer to read and doesn't send curious minds scurrying away from exceptionally long stories. (not that i haven't read such stories and will do so again. however i find i click on the shorter stories faster then the longer ones because sometimes its just nice to have a quick satisfying read then a long drawn out one)

So hopefully those of you who've read this story so far will bear with me and read the continuation. I do plan on getting the first chapter out shortly. (i apologize for the delay finishing this section. i've been working on a portfolio that has a time limit and required all of my attention)

Thank you for reading The End of Tomorrow! Your continued support and reviews have been exceptionally rewarding! -salute!-

SFF


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